By Bahattin Gonultas
BERLIN (AA) - Farmers opposed to Germany’s coalition government plan to abolish tax privileges in the agricultural sector prevented Economy and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck from leaving a ferry on the North Sea coast, said media reports.
Farmers blocked the ferry dock in Schlüttsiel late Thursday and did not allow Habeck to leave, according to the German News Agency (DPA).
Unable to leave and refusing an offer to meet individual farmers, Habeck had to return to Hallig Hooge, while police tried to calm the farmers.
The Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection said that, unfortunately, the security situation did not permit a meeting with all farmers.
“Habeck would have been happy to talk to farmers. Unfortunately, Minister Habeck's offer to meet with individual farmers was not accepted,” it said.
The farmers, who have been protesting with "tractors" since December against the government's removal of the agricultural diesel subsidy and planned vehicle tax exemption, had said they would start "massive protests" from January if their demands were not met.
-Government criticized farmers
The government and politicians of the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party criticized the refusal of the farmers to allow Habeck to leave the ferry.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit wrote on X that it was a shame that Habeck was prevented from arriving at the pier.
“The prevention of Federal Minister Habeck's arrival at a ferry pier today is shameful and violates the rules of democratic coexistence. No one who understands the culture of protest should be indifferent to such a brutal violation of political morality," he said.
Britta Haßelmann, member of the Green Party's parliamentary group in the Bundestag, said the events were "shocking."
"This has nothing to do with peaceful protest in a democratic environment. Such actions can in no way be justified. I expect the Farmers' Union to strongly condemn these attacks and distance itself from such actions," she added.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) emphasized that violence against people or property has no place in a political debate. "This undermines the concerns of many farmers who are demonstrating peacefully," he said.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party emphasized that democracy thrives on heated debate. "Where words are replaced by verbiage and debate by violence, the democratic frontier has been crossed," she said.
Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir shared on X that large segments of society should treat each other in a civilized manner.
"Whether it's climate activists or farmers at the ferry port, I always apply the same criterion: violence and coercion are despicable and at the same time counterproductive," he said.
-Government responds to protest
The German government, responding Thursday to mass protests against the reduction of agricultural subsidies, announced that the abolition of the tax exemption for agricultural vehicles would be abandoned.
But the German Farmers' Union has declared that the measures are insufficient and they will continue protests.
The German Farmers' Union announced that if their demands were not met, they would “the biggest the country has ever seen" on Jan. 8.