BERLIN: Hundred of German farmers and their tractors gathered in central Berlin on Monday to protest against the government’s plans to cut diesel subsidies and tax breaks for agricultural vehicles next year as part of Berlin’s 2024 austerity measures.
After a constitutional court ruling last month that cancelled 60 billion euros of earmarked debt, the federal government last week announced plans to save around 900 million euros ($983.34 million) annually in subsidies for farmers.
According to next year’s budget, a partial tax refund on agricultural diesel, along with a tax exemption for agricultural vehicles, will be abolished to meet the saving targets - a measure farmers said would threaten their livelihood and the competitiveness of Germany’s agricultural sector.
Farmers protested the planned cuts at the Brandenburg Gate, carrying placards reading “YOUR POLITICS ARE A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST FARMERS” and “TOO MUCH IS TOO MUCH! IT’S OVER NOW!” parking a number of tractors along Berlin’s Strasse des 17. Juni boulevard in central Berlin.
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