“The traffic light alone is to blame”
Aiwanger defends “Bauernwut” before ferry
January 5, 2024, 5:53 p.m
As a politician, Hubert Aiwanger is known to be a friend of farmers and an opponent of the traffic light coalition in Berlin. He also rigorously defends the action of some farmers before a ferry docked with Vice Chancellor Habeck. On Monday he wants to support farmers in their regularly planned protests.
The Bavarian Deputy Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger defended the farmers in view of the massive harassment of Economics Minister Robert Habeck by farmers: “The blame for the farmers’ anger lies solely with the traffic light policy, which threatens their existence,” said the Free Voters leader and Bavarian Economics Minister in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” according to the advance report. “Many fear for the future of their farms because the announced cuts will result in thousands of euros in additional costs per year. Farmers have noticed for years that they are being ideologically attacked by an increasing number of incorrect guidelines.”
Despite the federal government’s announcement that it will waive the vehicle tax for agricultural vehicles and only gradually reduce the subsidies on agricultural diesel, the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs wants to demonstrate alongside the farmers next Monday, when farmers are protesting all over Germany. According to the head of the Free Voters, the farmers are “just a symbol” of how the federal government deals with the pillars of society. “In my opinion, these are targeted socio-political shifts towards the left. They want to weaken these middle-class sections of the population and also force the death of farms,” said Aiwanger to the FAZ. “Overall, it’s moving in the direction of pushing back people, who they see as disruptors of the ideal world, and destroying the conservative structures that the farmers maintain.”
But there are also voices from top Bavarian politics that criticize the action against Habeck. CSU General Secretary Martin Huber condemned the farmers’ blockade in front of the ferry with Vice Chancellor Habeck and at the same time warned against pushing farmers’ concerns into the background. “One thing is clear: protest must take place non-violently and without threats,” said the CSU politician to the Germany editorial network. “Individual misconduct must not undermine the legitimate concerns of farmers.”