In a full-blown panic, the German political and media establishment has attempted to denigrate the farmer uprising against the globalist government in Berlin as a creation of Vladimir Putin and fomented by the so-called “far-right”.
Thousands of farmers began a week-long revolt on Monday in response to anti-farmer policies from the leftist government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with slow-moving tractors, trucks and other vehicles being used to bring the country to a halt.
The German government has a budget black hole to solve, and while some areas of spending are enjoying massive boosts — like underwriting the war in Ukraine — domestic spending cuts and tax hikes are going ahead. Among them are ending green tax exemptions for farming vehicles and scaling back agricultural subsidies, sparking outrage among the German farming community who have warned that the government’s policies threaten the very survival of the industry.
08 January 2024, Bavaria, Munich: Tractors stand during a demonstration by farmers in the city center. In response to the federal government’s austerity plans, the farmers’ association has called for a week of action with rallies and rallies starting on January 8. It is to culminate in a major demonstration in the capital on January 15. Photo: Lennart Preiss/dpa (Photo by Lennart Preiss/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Rather than treat the concerns of the farmers with dignity, the political establishment has chosen instead to attempt to tarnish the rural revolt as being a creation of nefarious forces. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who was personally protested against by farmers last week, claimed that Russia was seeking to instigate the protests.
“Social media campaigns, some of which are paid for by Putin, in which you present yourself as a victim in order to justify violence against people and things, political programs that advocate overthrow or even repopulation and always blame others, right-wing radicals who use the protective space of freedom to abolish it… We cannot tolerate that,” Habeck said per broadcaster NTV.
Despite the apparently broad political base of farmers involved in the action, the legacy media in Germany has also attempted to brand the protests as being tied to the “far-right”. Although the farmers have drawn support from centrist political figures, including Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz, state-owned media Deutsche Welle proclaimed on Monday that “Germany’s far-right exploits farmers’ protests”.
Hundreds of farmers from nearby communities are kicking off a week-long strike to protest against the government’s plan to cut agricultural subsidies and are blocking roads in Cologne, Germany, on January 8, 2024. (Photo by Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Highlighting the backing of the populist right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has surged in the polls to one of the top parties in the country, surpassing all of the three parties that comprise the coalition government, DW not only branded the party as “far-right” — a label the party rejects — but also openly compared it to the Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler.
“For years, the AfD has used every possible issue to protest against the German federal government, such as rallying against the controversial measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic… Observers are concerned that the current farmers’ protests could be exploited for the anti-democratic goals of right-wing extremists,” the publicly-funded broadcaster wrote.
While liberal elements in Germany have often branded the AfD as anti-democratic, the governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Chancellor Scholz has argued as recently as last week that the surging populist party should be banned outright. It has been argued banning the second-place polling party in Germany is necessary to protect democracy.
08 January 2024, Bavaria, Straubing: Tractors are parked at the Am Hagen parking lot during a demonstration by farmers. In response to the federal government’s austerity plans, the farmers’ association has called for a week of action with rallies and rallies starting on January 8. It is to culminate in a major demonstration in the capital on January 15. Photo: Armin Weigel/dpa (Photo by Armin Weigel/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Completing a trifecta of boogeymen to blame for farmers rising up against the government, German media also threw a conniption about billionaire X owner Elon Musk expressing his support for the farmers as well as criticising the international media for a lack of attention on the protests, which prompted front-page articles from Germany’s leading newspaper Die Welt and the regional Berliner Zeitung devoting front-page articles on Musk’s tweets in support of the farmers.
The first day of the protests was almost entirely peaceful, with the apparent exception of a member of the public ramming their car into a protester while trying to drive on the sidewalk to get around a tractor blockade.
08 January 2024, Saarland, Saarbrücken: Tractors stand on a road on the fringes of the farmers’ protests. In response to the federal government’s austerity plans, the farmers’ association has called for a week of action with rallies and rallies starting on January 8. It is to culminate in a major demonstration in the capital on January 15. Photo: Laszlo Pinter/dpa (Photo by Laszlo Pinter/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Over 500 tractors and other vehicles blocked off the central 17th of June Street in Berlin between the famed Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column. Meanwhile, police estimated that approximately 5,500 tractors surrounded Munich on Monday, blocking off entrances to the city. A further 1,000 tractors and trucks formed a 12-mile-long convoy along the motorway into Mainz, the capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate state. Other demonstrations were held in cities such as Bremen, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.
Despite the revolt, the government said that it would not be willing to make any meaningful changes towards its planned subsidy cuts and tax hikes on farmers, with a government spokesman saying: “There are no considerations within the government to change anything.
“In the end, a government has to decide and has to lead the way, and that can’t always be to everyone’s satisfaction.”