European Farm Protest Update
January 30, 2024
Hello Mike,
The latest on the farmers’ protests in Europe is, they are HUGE.
Some notes from our friends there, and media, etc. are below.
The German Farmers uprising has really spread. One new aspect of this is that the demands from farmers in different places add up to reflecting the principles we need for a new system, in everyone’s interest. One German group put out a statement in this direction this last week. They want “production” and production-values reintroduced into the schools! To get updates, check out EIR.news.
There is a dedicated page, in English from many volunteer translators, though it gets behind. We’re getting information from friends in the Schiller Institute in Europe, and their farm leader friends.
Feel free to call me, if you want to speak with anyone directly about something — on WhatsApp, or email.
Thank You,
Bob Baker
703-554-5397
bb888k@gmail.com
THE LATEST AS OF JAN. 29:
German Farmer Protests Have Spread All Over Europe! Protest actions have now spread all across Europe, since the Jan. 8-15 Week of Action in Germany by farmers and allies (truckers and many others).
FRANCE. PARIS WAS BARRICADED TODAY by tractors blocking the main roads in-and-out of the city. After protests in Paris last Friday, and in many other places, the Macron government blinked over the weekend and the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, rushed down to southwest France, to the cattle area, and offered some concessions. [He spoke from notes on a haybale!) But the major farm organization FNSEA says, not enough.
GERMANY. DEMONSTRATIONS of different kinds continue from place to place. The Parliament is to meet this week on the 2024 budget, that has unacceptable planks in it. Jan. 15 had up to 30,000 demonstrators in Berlin. Railway workers started a 6-day strike Jan. 24. In the state of Hesse last week, farmers went to supermarkets and talked to people. There was also a “Bridge Day” in the state of Lower Saxony, with farm equipment and big banners on the overpasses of the autobahn.
ITALY. A NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST was Jan. 22, with more actions since, including in Rome, Verona, Ferrara, and many other places.
THE TOP THREE FARM NATIONS IN EUROPE (in farming area, volume of production, etc.) are, in order: France, Germany and Italy, with Spain next. The Netherlands is the second largest food exporter in the world after the USA, in money terms. Spain’s agriculture is significant.
SPAIN—BIG FARM PROTESTS IN FEBRUARY are set in many cities.
OTHER COUNTRIES have been seeing farmer actions including GREECE, AUSTRIA, POLAND, BELGIUM and more.
IN GREECE, farmers will block the main motorway from Turkey to Western Europe this week.
EUROPEAN UNION HEADQUARTERS IS FROZEN on what to do. A Summit of leaders from the 27 member nations is planned for this Thursday, Jan. 31 in Brussels. Agri Ministers from all nations met Jan. 23, and did nothing. Jan. 25 the European Commission (that runs the EU) launched a pre-planned start of a ‘Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture” to go on for months, by a small group of agro-cartel companies, token farmers, the World Wildlife Fund. EC President Ursula von der Leyen—an elitist airhead, is in charge. Her theme is “agriculture and environmentalism” are one.
BASELINE DEMANDS, SUPPORT CROSSFIRE DEMANDS FROM THE FARM GROUPS vary only in specifics from place to place. They include affordable fuel costs, busting up the input and food cartels, emergency aid from lack of drought and flood infrastructure, and a stop to the whole raft of Green Deal “Farm to Fork” orders to cut farmland area, cut numbers of livestock, cut use of fertilizer and chemicals, etc. from 20 to 50% by 2030.
In France, for example, farmers demand the banning of the directive that 4% of their land must be fallow. Italian farmers too are fighting “re-naturization.”
Holland farmers oppose the nitrogen emissions directives. Etc.
GERMAN FARMERS ISSUED A SET OF DEMANDS JAN. 15 from a meeting in the state of Saxony, in the city of Stollberg. They call it the Stollberg Declaration. The statement has 12 points. It’s from the LSV—Countryside Creates Connection (Land schafft Verbindung). A short, rough translation is below.
MEXICAN FARMERS SEND SUPPORT. A statement of support to “German farmers and people” Jan. 18 was signed by farm leaders from several states (Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, and more). These farm leaders want a meet up with U.S. farmers and ranchers, if possible. (See English version) https://eir.news/2024/01/news/mexican-farmers-back-protests-by-german-producers/ USA SUPPORT.
The statement many of us signed at the beginning of the German Week of Action (Jan. 8) has new signatures, and is still circulating in Germany; it is posted different places in English outside Germany: https://schillerinstitute.com/blog/2024/01/10/gigantic-demonstrations-of-farmers-u-s-farm-leaderssend-full-support-let-the-tractors-roll-restore-the-economy/
https://edairynews.com/en/u-s-farm-and-ranch-leaders-message-to-germany-let-the-tractors-roll/
THE STOLLBERG DECLARATION (of German farmers’ demands for the economy), from Jan. 25, from the German group LSV—Countryside Creates Connections. Rough translation.
WE DEMAND:
- Rejection of the 2024 draft budget in the Bundesrat as long as it contains disproportionate tax increases for SMEs (small, and medium sized enterprises)
- Ending restrictions on entrepreneurial activity, that claim to be imposed for scientific reasons, but are not.
- Improving the position of agriculture in the value chain
- Introduction of an environmental and social levy on imported products of all kinds that are not manufactured according to German standards.
- Introduction of mandatory and detailed origin labeling of all foodstuffs.
- Protection of the transport industry from unfair competition, withdrawal of the toll increase and CO2 tax.
- Introduction of colored agricultural diesel along the lines of the USA and UK and promotion of alternative fuels.
- Securing a regional, crisis-proof and affordable energy supply.
- Reorganization of municipal finances and administrative reforms at state and federal level for immediate savings measures, reduction of bureaucracy through consolidation of authorities for more proximity to citizens.
- Immediate review of all state payments abroad. [Berlin government is upping military and state spending in Ukraine]
- Simplification of building regulations, fixed fee rates for the planning of public buildings and amendment of the procurement and contract regulations for construction services to ensure fair competition.
- Preventing abuse of the welfare state, promote appreciation of work, practical education policy, include regular teaching days in regional companies in the curriculum.
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