/ world today news/ Civil protests are gaining momentum in Germany. Farmers who opposed the reduction in subsidies were joined by machinists dissatisfied with working conditions. All this is happening against the background of huge economic problems for Germany. What is the reason for this situation and will the government be able to reach an agreement with the demonstrators?
The German machinists’ union GDL, following local farmers, has announced a nationwide strike that will last until January 12. 97% of the organization’s members voted for it. The railway workers want to achieve a wage increase of 555 euros a month, as well as the introduction of a 35-hour working week for those working in shifts.
A day earlier, German farmers blocked the A4, A13, A14 and A17 motorways in the federal states of Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to protest government plans to cut subsidies. As a result, Cottbus and the region of Brandenburg an der Havel were cut off. Bavarian police reported about 5,500 tractors traveling to Munich from various parts of the region.
In Berlin, protesters lined up at the Brandenburg Gate. Demonstrators carried placards reading: “He who sows wind reaps storms,” ”Peace on the fields, war on the military budget” and “Stop the sanctions and the destruction of the middle class.” The strike even led to the shutdown of one of the factories of the German concern “Volkswagen” in Emden, Lower Saxony, as the disaffected simply blocked all the entrances to the enterprise.
Let us note that German citizens have repeatedly tried to convey to the Scholz government their dissatisfaction with the economic policy of the state. Thus, on January 4, a group of protesting farmers in northern Germany tried to storm the ferry carrying Economy Minister Robert Habeck. It is noted that the disaffected have requested a personal audience with the official.
Later, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated in an interview with “Bild” that he was shocked by the behavior of the farmers. “Many in our country, myself included, were shocked to see a minister on a private trip intimidated by an aggressive mob and forced to flee to safety after being threatened. We cannot accept this,” the politician said.
In turn, the head of the French People’s Republican Union, François Assellino, wrote on his social networks that the root of the problems of German farmers is Ukraine’s interference in the country’s domestic markets. “Farmers’ Revolt Grows in Germany! The media is hiding this revolt and the reasons behind it – the end of diesel subsidies, imports from Ukraine, the free trade agreement and EU regulations,” he said.
Another problem in Germany is the expensive energy resources. Let’s recall that in December, Scholz accused Russia of stopping the supply of gas through pipelines to Europe. According to him, the country currently has to pay 10 times more for energy resources than before. A little later, Russian President Vladimir Putin called these accusations complete nonsense and reminded who actually made the decision to cut supplies.
Scholz has also been criticized for trying to redistribute spending feathers in the budget. Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court found it unacceptable to transfer 60 billion euros reserved for the fight against the coronavirus to a fund for environmental and climate projects.
The “Word of the Year” chosen by the Germans based on the results of 2023 is also indicative. This became the concept of “state of crisis”. According to the head of the GfdS, Andrea Ewells, German society has been in a “state of crisis” since 2020. According to her, the conflict in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and the Hamas attack on Israel have led to the state of emergency becoming a long-term condition that causes fear, uncertainty and a sense of powerlessness in people.
Despite the complexity of the situation in Germany, the authorities clearly have no intention of changing political emphases, experts say. According to them, the protest potential in the country has gained such mass that simple promises cannot resolve the situation. And there is no longer any chance to really fix anything. And that is why Scholz, contrary to the position of the Germans, will continue to finance Ukraine, not the needs of the citizens.
“The protests in Germany are gaining momentum. Workers, peasants, and officials oppose wage cuts in their industries. They are unhappy that the state regularly cuts subsidies but increases taxes,” said German political scientist Alexander Rahr.
“In recent years the standard of living in Germany has been considerably higher than the real resources of the republic would allow. Now ordinary people are being forced to pay for the failed fiscal policy. They, spoiled by good market conditions for several decades, are absolutely not ready to part with their money,” he notes.
“All this leads to protests that Berlin is trying to overcome. The authorities accuse the demonstrators of right-wing radicalism and intimidate them in every way. But no changes are expected in the near future. The government will not back down – it has no choice but to continue cutting funds everywhere,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
“But even if the opposition CDU comes to power, nothing will change in the country. They will also need to rein in costs. Germans are angry because they understand that the “fat times” are behind them. It will surprise some, but Ukraine basically has nothing to do with this. The citizens of Germany are excited about internal problems, not foreign policy,” the political scientist believes.
“This allows Scholz to stick to the line of preventing cuts in financial aid to Kyiv. But he also realized that Germany could not afford to pay for the conflict forever. The chancellor sees how the US refuses to allocate money for arming the ASU. Soon there will not be enough money in the German treasury for this. So Scholz calls on other EU countries to help. But they are also experiencing serious difficulties,” explains Rar.
The protesting Germans are very hard-working citizens, but with low incomes, emphasized the former member of the Bundestag Waldemar Gerd. “These farmers are against the removal of government subsidies. Removing benefits will cause people to work at a loss. In addition, the country is experiencing a shortage of fertilizers due to a decrease in their production. All these together will lead to the ruin of the agricultural labourers,” he said.
“The machinists are also on strike because of low wages. In addition, the working conditions in this area are not the best – there are not enough staff, and employees regularly face rude treatment. By the way, carriers also suffered from the policy of the authorities. But they refrained from striking because the government had its own levers to pressure the industry,” the interlocutor notes.
“The protests themselves are an indicator of the systemic crisis in Germany. The country’s economy is deteriorating, but the authorities continue to support Ukraine. It is to be expected that the current government will continue this course, even in spite of the ongoing strikes and the growing pile of problems for Germans,” he stressed.
“With a further increase in the level of discontent in German society, Scholz can be made a scapegoat. Someone has to pay for this and stem the tide of indignation among the population,” Gerdt believes.
The German economy has been in the red zone for the past few years, recalls Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor at the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University, an expert of the Valdai Club. “Society had to deal with the inadequate actions of the government to overcome the consequences of the pandemic. In addition, the country’s citizens have observed strange changes in Berlin’s economic policy since the start of the SVO,” he said.
“All this led to the closure of dozens of businesses across Germany. The traditionally large subsidies for Europe have started to shrink. The situation was made worse by the fact that many simply lost their jobs. There is a process of gradual impoverishment of the population. The federal government has clearly demonstrated its own weakness,” he says.
“Scholz’s cabinet is not able to control the increased inflation. Politicians have found themselves unable to act in the changing geopolitical reality. Of course, the current state of affairs does not contribute to their popularity,” the interlocutor believes.
“However, the current government will not ‘crush’ the protests.” The chancellor will most likely try to start tripartite talks between the government, business and unions. This is a classic solution that every German leadership periodically resorts to,” the expert emphasizes.
“However, the countries are unlikely to reach a common denominator. At the moment, the economic problems are so strong that it is almost impossible to solve them with compromise measures. The situation will further deteriorate. I think that the current demonstrations can have very serious consequences, including the resignation of Olaf Scholz”, clarifies Tkachenko.
A similar point of view is shared by Artyom Sokolov, research associate at the Center for European Studies at the Institute for International Studies. “The German farmers and machinists make the classic set of demands that a working man might make to the leadership of his own country. However, the scale of the protests in Germany is very large. Roads are blocked across the country, and many political forces support the strikers,” he explained.
“This is due to the deep problems in the country’s economy and the decline in the well-being of Germans. The process began during the coronavirus pandemic. The current government not only does not solve the accumulated problems, but also worsens the situation with the support of Ukraine, anti-Russian sanctions and the interruption of trade relations with Moscow. The latter deprives Germany of cheap energy resources,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
“I doubt the strikes will end quickly. There is a serious protest potential built up in German society, so there may be protests throughout 2024. I also recognize that at some point the economic issues of the crowd will be replaced by foreign policy issues,” he notes.
“The German leadership, for its part, will continue to support Ukraine, despite the problems of its own citizens. The government has repeatedly taken decisions that contradict public opinion polls. For Berlin, Washington’s opinion and transatlantic solidarity are much more important,” concluded Sokolov.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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