A nationwide protest by German farmers could spell the end for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his government, firebrand Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev has said.
“Farmers [in Germany] have blocked much of the country,” Mr. Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, wrote in a social media post.
“It’s highly doubtful that Scholz ... will hold out.”
On Jan. 8, farmers across Germany kicked off a week-long protest against austerity measures imposed by Mr. Scholz’s coalition government. Convoys of tractors and trucks have paralyzed traffic and blocked roads across the country, including several border crossings with France.
In a show of contempt for unpopular government policies, some farmers dumped hay, manure, and animal feed onto roads and highways.
In Berlin, hundreds of farmers parked their agricultural vehicles in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate.
The protest was organized against government plans to scrap tax breaks and subsidies for the agricultural sector—moves that farmers say could force them out of business.
One protester from the state of Bavaria said his farm would suffer annual losses of at least 10,000 euros (about $10,900) if the measures are implemented.
“For our businesses, that’s a catastrophe,” he told The Associated Press on the first day of the protest.
In December 2023, Mr. Scholz’s three-party coalition unveiled plans to end tax exemptions on agricultural vehicles and diesel subsidies for farmers.
The measures are part of a broader austerity plan aimed at correcting an $18.6 billion shortfall in the government’s budget for 2024.
After an angry backlash by farmers, Berlin appeared to backtrack last week, pledging to keep tax exemptions in place while phasing out subsidies over three years.
But the German Farmers’ Association rejected the offer, demanding the measures be scrapped entirely and vowing to stage a nationwide “week of action.”
The protest has the support of opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is opposed to the government’s austerity measures.
Labeled as “far-right” by its critics, the AfD also opposes the pro-immigration and “climate-friendly” policies espoused by Brussels and Germany’s current leadership.
Many of the tractors driven by protesting farmers are festooned with AfD banners and posters bearing the slogan “Our farmers come first.”
On the first day of the protest, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned that the protests risked being exploited by “extremist groups.”
“Calls are circulating with ‘coup’ fantasies, extremist groups are forming, and ethnic-nationalist symbols are being openly displayed,” Mr. Habeck, a member of Germany’s Green Party, said in a video message.
Last week, Mr. Habeck’s return from vacation was disrupted by hundreds of angry farmers who tried to storm a ferryboat from which he was disembarking.
‘As Long as It Takes’
The AfD also opposes Germany’s continued support for Ukraine and Western-led sanctions on Russia.Party officials have also repeatedly stated that halting Russian energy imports conflicted with Germany’s national interest.
Despite a deepening fiscal crisis, Germany remains one of Ukraine’s leading providers of weapons and economic assistance.
Late last year, Berlin agreed to double its military aid to Ukraine to $8.8 billion in 2024.
Mr. Medvedev attributed Germany’s budgetary shortfall to the “astronomical amounts” it has spent—and continues to spend—on Kyiv’s war effort.
“Subsidies [for German farmers] are being phased out, and the astronomical amounts spent on Ukraine are still growing,” he wrote in his social media post.
Nevertheless, Mr. Scholz and his coalition partners appear determined to stay the course.
On Jan. 8, as the farmers’ protest kicked off nationwide, the German leader scolded fellow EU members for failing to arm and support Ukraine sufficiently.
He urged EU states to redouble their support, stressing Germany’s readiness to back Kyiv’s war effort for “as long it takes” to defeat Russia.
“As significant as the German contribution is, it will not be enough to ensure Ukraine’s long-term security,” Mr. Scholz told reporters in Berlin.
He also voiced confidence that the EU would agree on a proposed $54.7 billion aid package for Kyiv at an upcoming summit slated for Feb. 1.
Last month, EU leaders failed to agree on the proposed aid package due to opposition from Hungary’s nationalist leader, Victor Orban.
In light of mounting public disaffection with the policies of Mr. Scholz’s coalition, the AfD hopes to score significant gains in upcoming elections later this year.
Along with Mr. Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party, the ruling coalition includes the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party.
According to recent polling, the AfD now enjoys a considerable lead over all three coalition partners.
