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They paralyze traffic with tractor parades, block highway entrances and light wake fires. In Germany, thousands of farmers took to the streets on Monday to protest against the government’s austerity plans.
The farmer protests in Germany also affect Swiss farmers. The Zurich farmers’ association shows solidarity with its professional colleagues in the northern neighboring country. The association wrote in a statement that it “fully understands” peaceful protests. The German government is “consciously endangering the future of farmers and its own national supply.”
The Swiss farmers’ organization put the brakes on
However, nothing more than expressions of solidarity can be expected from Switzerland. Numerous farmers had contacted farmers’ associations in recent days because they were considering supporting their German colleagues with protest actions. But the associations put the brakes on.
“I understand that farmers in Germany are fighting back,” says Markus Ritter (56), chairman of the Swiss farmers’ association. Because they have no voice in government and little else to say, they have virtually no choice but to drive the tractors. “You are currently powerless over political decisions,” says the National Council of the St. Gallen Center.
“I can’t imagine living in Switzerland”
Very different in this country. Not only are there three trained farmers and studied agronomists in the state government: the two SVP federal councilors Guy Parmelin (64) and Albert Rösti (56) and SP federal councilor Beat Jans (59). Farmers are also vastly over-represented in parliament – and have political power that farmers from other European countries can only dream of. The political system in Switzerland also allows associations to be much more closely involved.
“I can’t imagine something like that in Switzerland at the moment,” says Ritter, referring to Germany. Martin Haab (61), chairman of the Zurich farmers’ association and SVP national councilor of Zurich, also believes: “Such a protest is not appropriate in this country.”
Parliament blocked the cuts
Farmers’ anger in Germany has been fueled by plans to abolish diesel and motor vehicle tax benefits for farmers. In Switzerland, agriculture also benefits from cheaper diesel and cheaper vehicle taxes, for example for tractors. Parliament has always rejected attempts to delete or shorten it.
“But if it came to that in Switzerland, Swiss farmers would probably also take to the streets,” says Haab. After all, they have already done this in the past. The last major demonstration took place in 2015: more than 10,000 farmers took to the streets in Bern to protest against cuts to direct payments. However, tractors and animals were deliberately avoided to keep the demo under control, says Ritter. Cowbells had to do it.
‘Kei Buure, kei Esse’ was the slogan on the banners with which the farmers marched through the center of Bern. The same slogan can now be read on German tractors.
Source:Blick
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