CO2 Tax Farmers Protests Rock Germany, Government Backing Down
7 hours ago Eric Worrall 16 Comments
Essay by Eric Worrall
In the face of protests and a rising electoral threat from right wing AFD candidates, the German Government has grudgingly offered concessions to victims of their green policies.
05 Jan 2024, 11:43
Julian Wettengel
Farmer protests continue in Germany after govt backtracks on cuts for climate-damaging subsidies
Agriculture Cost & Prices Society Government
Following a noisy backlash from farmers, the German government coalition has decided to backtrack on planned cuts to climate-damaging subsidies in the agriculture sector. However, continued protests show that the move might be insufficient to calm the sector. To fill a 2024 budget gap following a constitutional court ruling on key climate action funding, the government in December said it would roll back tax breaks for agriculture vehicles, which led to a major protest in the capital Berlin. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), economy minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and finance minister Christian Lindner (FDP) now agreed to cancel some of these measures and delay others. Agricultural vehicle tax breaks will not be slashed while diesel tax breaks for farmers will be abolished only gradually, starting this year.
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However, farmers made clear they think the changes are insufficient. “This can only be a first step,” said Joachim Rukwied, head of the farmers association DBV, and added that a week of protests (from 8 January) would go ahead as planned. …
Read more:
https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/farmer-protests-continue-germany-after-govt-backtracks-cuts-climate-damaging-subsidiesThe concessions could best be described as inadequate – a slight reduction of red tape, and a very temporary deferment of the abolition of tax relief for agricultural fuel users.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/01/06/co2-tax-farmers-protests-rock-germany-government-backing-down/
