As of: January 30, 2024, 4:04 p.m
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Farmers stand on a bridge with tractors.
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
They honk and whistle, but can the farmers continue to change politicians' minds?
At least in the Federal Council, the front against cuts is spreading - even if the southwest will probably abstain.
Stuttgart - Deafening horns from hundreds of tractors, loud boos and a concert of whistles on the central protest site.
At a large rally in Stuttgart on Tuesday, thousands of farmers once again vented their anger and demonstrated against the federal government's budget policy.
On large banners they called for more appreciation and an end to the planned cuts in agricultural diesel.
“What I would like to see from politicians are clear commitments,” said Christian Coenen from the organization “Land Creates Connection,” which called for the rally.
According to estimates by the organizers, around 5,000 demonstrators with around 3,200 tractors gathered on the Cannstatter Wasen on the banks of the Neckar.
When asked, the police said they did not collect any data on participation.
Farmers across Germany have been protesting since the beginning of January, primarily against the federal government's plans to gradually end the subsidy for agricultural diesel by 2026.
The federal government had previously withdrawn even more extensive plans.
That's not enough for the Bavarian state government.
She wants to overturn the particularly controversial cuts in agricultural diesel subsidies through an initiative in the Federal Council and is hoping for support from other federal states.
Baden-Württemberg's green-black coalition has not yet decided on a stance on this matter.
While the Free State wants to request the complete withdrawal of the planned savings at the next meeting of the state chamber next Friday (February 2), Baden-Württemberg still has to coordinate on some issues.
“We have already agreed on some issues, but not on others,” said Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens).
If no agreement is reached, the country will abstain.
In the Federal Council, each federal state can only cast its votes uniformly, as the Basic Law stipulates.
Therefore, the state governments must agree before the committee votes on how the votes should be cast.
Coalition governments in particular do not always manage to reach agreement on voting behavior in the Federal Council.
For the Baden-Württemberg CDU, its parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel emphasized at the large rally in front of farmers that, from his party's perspective, the federal government must completely reverse the cuts in the agricultural sector.
“The farmers need noticeable relief,” he said in Stuttgart.
“Therefore, the state government in the Federal Council should now show its colors and join the initiative of the Bavarian state government.”
SPD-led states such as Brandenburg, Saarland, Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had already spoken out against the traffic light government's cuts plans during the farmers' protests.
However, an objection by the Bundesrat can be overruled by the Bundestag.
Therefore, the chances of success of Federal Council initiatives are generally very low.
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Farmers across the country have been taking to the streets for weeks, partly because of the planned abolition of tax relief for agricultural diesel in several steps.
Farmers also criticize lower subsidies from Brussels, the increase in truck tolls and bureaucratic hurdles.
dpa