Dutch Farmer Protest. Image source Breitbart

Cost of Living Farmers Protests Paralyse Europe

Essay by Eric Worrall

There are several factors driving the protests, but one of the planned government responses is “lower fuel prices”.

‘It shows they are fed up. It’s a revolt’: European farmers are furious with the EU for 3 main reasons—and one has to do with Ukraine

BYSYLVIE CORBET AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 25, 2024 at 3:49 AM GMT+10

With roadblocks and street protests, farmers in France demonstrated Wednesday across the country and in Brussels against low wages and what they see as excessive bureaucracy, part of a rising tide of anger among agricultural producers across the European Union.

There were also demonstrations in Poland, where disgruntled farmers slow-drove their tractors through major cities in protest at what they call “unfair” competition from neighboring Ukraine.

In a sign that the protest movement was expanding in France, roadblocks were spreading in many regions, coming a day after a farmer and her daughter died when a car crashed into a protest barricade in the southwest.

Government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot said Wednesday that the government would make new proposals to respond to the crisis “in the coming days.” Announcements were expected to focus on lower fuel prices for farmers and simpler regulations.

Read more: https://fortune.com/europe/2024/01/24/why-are-farmers-protesting-germany-france-ukraine-poland-european-union/

The protests have been simmering off and on the last few years, but the latest protests appear to have been triggered by a German Government attempt to meet climate targets, by cancelling diesel tax exemptions for agriculture.

The only thing Berlin’s fueling is discontent…

The German government’s CO2 price increase beginning from January 2024 will make petrol, heating and electricity more expensive. 

Already Germany’s industry is shrinking rapidly and farmers are now protesting nationally due to high fuels costs: 

Read more: https://notrickszone.com/2023/12/23/germanys-nationwide-discontent-will-be-fueled-further-by-higher-co2-tax-planned-for-2024/

It seems inevitable that European governments will back down at least a little from their eco-crusade to wreck the EU agriculture industry.

But the new settlement with farmers could also lead to a dramatic reduction in European support for Ukraine. Another major grievance of farmers is Ukrainian farmers, who don’t have to pay punitive green European fuel taxes, have been given free access to sell their goods in the EU, undercutting local EU farmers.

Ukraine’s Zelensky administration has repeatedly aligned with radical liberals and the green movement. Last September Zelensky told the Republican US Congress one of the reasons Ukraine needs billions of dollars of military aid is so the world can address climate change. Zelensky’s clumsy appeal was not well received by Republicans.

To add to this madness, early last year George Soros gave a speech in which he explained Ukraine needs to crush Russia, to liberate the funds needed to complete the green revolution – to consolidate the very policies which are currently wrecking the livelihoods of European farmers.

Obviously there is no way to know the new European political landscape until after the dust settles. The EU Parliament election will be held in June this year. Large numbers of ordinary working class Europeans are pushing back against EU green policies like never before. At least some components of Europe’s support for Ukraine’s Zelensky are also in the firing line.

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Ron Long
January 30, 2024 2:15 am

It’s hard to imagine that angering the part of the population that feeds you is a good strategy. The whole issue of support for Ukraine support is dividing into two parts, yes they need to defend themselves against Russia, and Ukraine is too slow to address the rampant corruption.

strativarius
Reply to  Ron Long
January 30, 2024 2:46 am

 the part of the population”

They have been dividing populations by identity group for some time now. It’s baked in multiculturalism with its simplistic victim/oppressor, black/white assumptions. Farming implies land ownership and privilege etc. But there is some diversity in farming…

https://farmshop.theblackfarmer.com/

British Asian farmers – a rare breed?https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04l44h5

So the obvious tack is to brand them climate enemies….

Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 30, 2024 7:34 am

I recall one of the widespread famines in North Korea brought on by Marxist professors (literally) who knew they could devise better farming methods than somebody with actual farming experience or someone who studied agriculture.

Reply to  More Soylent Green!
January 30, 2024 11:17 am

Think SriLanka and the famine induce by government fawning to the organic fertiliser idiots.

The Expulsive
Reply to  Ron Long
January 30, 2024 5:31 am

I am uncertain where you live, but farmers in Ontario are quietly simmering about having to pay Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax (really a CO2 tax, but carbon sounds better because it is black and black is bad, right?), which is planned to increase once again (by 30%) in April. They are caught between the Band of Canada holding interest rates higher (7.2%, plus whatever the banks add, with credit worthy having 1% added) and increased costs to dry grain, heat cattle barns, runs equipment, with only the Conservatives offering any relief (but they are the Opposition).
There was a protest about the idiot COVID rules, which had JT invoke the Emergencies Act, which the first court case has determined was invalid, so I wonder if there will be farmer protests.

The Expulsive
Reply to  The Expulsive
January 30, 2024 5:32 am

sorry Bank of Canada

Reply to  The Expulsive
January 30, 2024 7:37 am

So you’re saying Canadian farmers think high taxes and regulations are a competitive disadvantage? Huh.

Reply to  More Soylent Green!
January 30, 2024 9:13 am

Most Canadian farmers are in Conservative voting Western Canada, so the Liberal government really doesn’t care what they think.

Drake
Reply to  DMacKenzie
January 30, 2024 5:35 pm

All the more reason to expel Quebec from Canada and get a conservative majority. The way Ontario is going, you might need to get rid of them too.

Reply to  Ron Long
January 30, 2024 7:41 am

Any American who thinks Ukraine is corrupt needs to have a closer look at Washington, DC. That is, our country is pretty damn corrupt, too.

Political corruption traditionally is very high in the former republics of the USSR. It’s a carry-over from Communism. My understanding is corruption is also quite high in the People’s Republic of China as well. I’m sorry to see the US is catching up.

Drake
Reply to  More Soylent Green!
January 30, 2024 5:36 pm

The corruption of the US is clearly shown by ALL the DC politicians and deep state going after TRUMP!.

IF he wins this go round, all bets are off and heads WILL roll. If he wins against the whole of the MSM and facepalm, google etc., he will also get the Senate and a more MAGA house and get what he needs to achieve his goals.

I would love to see RICO prosecutions of all the people behind the “fact checkers” used by the oligarchs who own the social media companies and the actual owners. Prosecuted in a county that is 90% Republican.

RICO allows MASSIVE monetary damages.

Reply to  Drake
January 31, 2024 6:41 am

I understand the hope, Drake, but I no longer have any confidence in the GOP to actually do anything.

strativarius
January 30, 2024 2:31 am

Poland is an interesting case now that Donald Tusk has taken over the reins. We British are more than familiar with this guy and ‘his way of doing business‘. When things go off message…

“Polish state TV channel TVP Info has been taken off air after Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s new government moved to depoliticise public media.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67772070

“Poland’s new pro-EU coalition government has said it is putting the country’s public television, radio and news agency into liquidation.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67828421

[I wish someone would do the same to the Waffen BBC…]

“The EU Parliament election”

Europarl is the rubber stamp that creates an illusion of European democracy, but it is only a rubber stamp. And a very corrupt one at that: 

“Bribery and corruption Cash, wiretaps and resignations: Qatargate probe runs out of steam EU corruption scandal bogged down in legal counter-probes”
https://www.ft.com/content/4616b7c4-b4c8-47e3-92e3-004f7bf7af7e

And into the long grass it goes.

And VDL continues to amuse us all

“Poland protested Sunday a mistake in a social media post by the head of the European Commission that wrongly suggested the World War II Auschwitz death camp was Polish.
That post by Ursula von der Leyen on X, formerly Twitter, was later corrected to say that Auschwitz was a Nazi German extermination camp.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/01/30/cost-of-living-farmers-protests-paralyse-europe/

It’s not as if she’s ignorant on the matter….

Reply to  strativarius
January 30, 2024 7:57 am

Auschwitz was in Poland and was more than a single camp. IIRC, there was a death camp and at least one work camp.

Reply to  strativarius
January 30, 2024 11:19 am

“Poland’s new pro-EU coalition government has said it is putting the country’s public television, radio and news agency into liquidation.””

ABC in Australia, would be another target….

January 30, 2024 2:35 am

Supplier for Ukraine’s army acquires Croatian hotels
One of Ukrainian defense contractors supplying food to Ukraine’s military inflated egg prices, and used profits to buy luxury hotels abroad, Ukrainian journalists revealed.

And 1.2 mio € military food supply is missing…
Can’t find it in English news, German only

Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 30, 2024 5:28 am

Not to forget:

Ukraine says it uncovered $40 million corruption scheme in weapons procurement
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it has discovered a mass corruption scheme in the purchase of weapons by the country’s military amounting to nearly $40 million (1.5 billion Ukrainian hryvnia).
The SBU said the embezzlement involved the purchase of 100,000 mortar rounds for Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the fall of 2022.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry paid nearly all of the funds to arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, but the SBU said the ammunition was never received. Instead, it said some of the funds had been transferred to foreign accounts, including in the Balkans.

Reply to  Krishna Gans
January 30, 2024 7:05 pm

I think they also recovered the stolen money.

Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 30, 2024 7:58 am

That’s sounds peculiarly defensive of that mendacious kleptocrat, Eric. That pudgy ex-comedian isn’t part of a brave band of musketeers doing their best to defend freedom and integrity any more than Gates and Soros are; he is part of the money laundering cabal.

Richard Page
Reply to  Willy
January 30, 2024 8:35 am

Exactly – the same people tasked with defending Ukraine against Russia are the ones that have made enormous profits from the rampant corruption. They have no interest in sorting it out but, for appearances sake, will occasionally throw a ‘little fish’ under the bus and call it an ‘anti-corruption purge.’

Reply to  Richard Page
January 30, 2024 12:16 pm

From my reading, something similar took place during the war of ’76. Considerable profits were made by various parties during acquisition of munitions and other necessary supplies for Washington’s army.

Reply to  AndyHce
January 30, 2024 12:40 pm

Wait wait wait…What? You are comparing Ukraine to the Colonies? Hahaha!

Reply to  Willy
January 30, 2024 10:53 pm

I’m comparing military procurement then with military procurement now, a practice riff with corruption over all time and places.

Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 30, 2024 11:11 am

Corruption is the factor in the cooling of US support, at least amongst Republicans. Republican corruption.

They are bought and paid for by Putin.
That’s why their greatest commitment is to Making Russia Great Again.

Reply to  MCourtney
January 30, 2024 12:40 pm

🙄

Reply to  Willy
January 30, 2024 1:50 pm

That’s about the only way anyone can respond to such a comment.

0perator
Reply to  MCourtney
January 30, 2024 1:04 pm

If only that were true.

Drake
Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 30, 2024 5:40 pm

The Republican RINO Senators are willing to give Ukraine 110 Billion for NO US boarder security, just lip service.

The House will not.

Again, if TRUMP! wins this go round he will have control of the house and senate and McConnell will be out of power.

Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 30, 2024 7:03 pm

“Zelensky has had a few corruption purges, but corruption seems to be a factor in the cooling of US support, at least amongst Republicans.”

No, corruption is just the excuse Republican Isolationists use to justify their aversion to conflict.

I heard the Republican Isolationist, Laura Ingraham, say tonight that Biden should not retalitate for the three American soldiers killed by the Mad Mullahs of Iran because if the U.S. retalitates, it might start a war!

Laura doesn’t seem to be aware that there is already a war going on.

Laura doesn’t seem to understand that we can’t just opt out of any wars we don’t like, because wars have a way of insinuating themselves into our lives whether we want it or not, like this one. The Mad Mullahs are not going to let us opt out, Laura. You don’t want to play? it makes no difference to them.

rovingbroker
January 30, 2024 4:14 am

“Announcements were expected to focus on lower fuel prices for farmers and simpler regulations.”

Why is the government controlling fuel prices in the first place? It’s not necessary and it’s clear that they aren’t very good at it. When will “we” ever learn?

Reply to  rovingbroker
January 30, 2024 4:30 am

Fuel taxes are a part of everyone’s life I am sure. In the EU red diesel – for off road use – was always low tax. A thriving illegal business existed in trying to take the red dye out of it and sell it as road diesel…

rovingbroker
Reply to  Leo Smith
January 30, 2024 8:18 am

The price of fuel is one thing. Tax on fuel is something else.

Reply to  rovingbroker
January 30, 2024 12:31 pm

Tax on fuel originated as a means to put road maintenance costs on the users of the roads. High fuel taxes for pork barrel projects, at least in the US, are a relatively recent development. People who used fuel, but not the roads, were exempt from the tax.

Drake
Reply to  AndyHce
January 30, 2024 5:41 pm

And still are.

Reply to  Drake
January 30, 2024 10:55 pm

To some extent, and in some places. Use of road tax funds for all sorts of things not related to roads is now common.

strativarius
Reply to  rovingbroker
January 30, 2024 5:51 am

Producer governments tend – through OPEC etc – to dictate prices

rovingbroker
Reply to  strativarius
January 30, 2024 8:27 am

Producer governments are producers and can charge whatever the market will bear. This is separate from governments that tell producers and marketers what to charge for hydrocarbons which (governments) were the subjects of my question.

This is separate from taxes specifically on fuel.

Reply to  rovingbroker
January 30, 2024 7:45 am

My preference is for farmers to pay the same taxes as everyone else and pass the costs on to the consumers. In an ideal world.

In the US, we pay very low wages for farm labor, particularly migrant farm labor. Consumers benefit but taxpayers end up on the hook for social services, healthcare, the EITC, etc.

January 30, 2024 4:27 am

The Ukrainians are under the mistaken illusion that the EU is their friend.
So are European farmers.

The reality is that the EU is simply another self legalising protection racket, extracting funds from member nations and distributing them to cronies. And acting as a protectionist cartel for mostly German industry. It used to act on behalf of French Agriculture as well, but apparently its decided Europe doesn’t need feeding.

Let them eat Brioche?

strativarius
Reply to  Leo Smith
January 30, 2024 5:11 am

Ciabatta

Reply to  strativarius
January 30, 2024 5:26 am

Is Italian 😀

strativarius
Reply to  Krishna Gans
January 30, 2024 5:52 am

Da vero?!!!

Reply to  Leo Smith
January 30, 2024 5:55 am

With their Marxist “Green Deal” they are confronting both (French Agriculture and German automotive dominant industry) at the same time. The EU politicians and bureaucrats started to believe their own propaganda lies about a majority of the population gladly embracing this impoverishment program for the sake of saving the worlds climate. They just went nuts in their bubble in Brussels.

January 30, 2024 4:50 am

Don’t call it a “Carbon Price”. Call it what it is, a CO2 tax. Governments are taxing the air that you breath.

Drake
Reply to  Fraizer
January 30, 2024 5:43 pm

The air that you exhale.

mleskovarsocalrrcom
January 30, 2024 8:27 am

First control the media, then the message/propaganda, then the vote, then the courts, then the economy, then the food, then the people. And all of it done bit by bit until it’s too late to turn back and as to not alarm. But it’s not too late and the Marxists have bitten off more than they can chew.

Reply to  mleskovarsocalrrcom
January 30, 2024 8:41 am

The rich are the ones who own the media that is spreading the UN’s CO2 fears. $US200 trillion is the Bloomberg estimate of the cost to stop warming by 2050. That is a lot of trillions in profit to be made.

JC
January 30, 2024 9:27 am

Farmer’s may be the sanest people in the world. We will lose that sanity if we allow the US farm lands to be bought up, consolidated and automated by global corporations who are at the center of the global commodities markets. France and other EU countries protect their farmers, this is the reason a farmer protest of the scope mentioned above is possible in Europe.

The US needs provide a regulative sanctuaries to provide greater opportunities for families who want to farm at any scale, especially on marginal lands so our meat supply is less vulnerable to market & political leveraging by the megalomaniacs.

JC
Reply to  Eric Worrall
January 31, 2024 8:44 am

Much appreciated!

Cut all the red tape and the mind control, people will do what they do best grow food. The inherent human desire to grow food maybe greatly thwarted by propaganda and market forces, but if you leave people alone they will grow food for themselves. Post Soviet Armenia is another example where people turned their country into a food paradise with little tech. All they needed was liberty to use their land they way they had for centuries prior to communism. All communism brought was famine.

So give us the liberty to own land and grow food and use it’s energy resources the way we see fit.

I grow 40% of the food we consume on 1 acre of marginal land in PA. There are a number of things I wanted to do to earn extra cash, but regulations made them all onerous or unprofitable.

For many corporate geeks like myself working from home, owning land and growing food is a real opportunity. Even those I no longer sell produce in farmer’s markets as my night job it is still a very profitable use of my time and energy. The economics of it are surprising.

The sad thing is all that is left for the American people are marginal lands. Too much of the vast expanses of great farm land are bought up by Megalomaniacs, Chinese, Banks, Hedge funds, Corporations, Oligarchs who have priced the land beyond reach.

As a serious conservative I helped contribute to the urban farming movement in Philadelphia because there was plenty of land and people who wanted to grow food.
The movement died out because the left saw it as a capitalistic movement and eye sore. LOL

Bob
January 30, 2024 2:56 pm

More good news but we need more than farmers. The best action would be to kick the European Parliament out of Europe. It is more suited for Russia or North Korea.

gezza1298
January 30, 2024 5:35 pm

It is NOT true that the EU has allowed Ukraine to sell their food in the EU. The EU has removed the restrictions on their food from entering the EU en route to ports for shipment onwards to Africa etc due to shipments not being able to use the Black Sea. But rather than transit the food across the EU people started to sell it in the EU undercutting producers in Poland, Hungary and Romania who were quite understandable not happy.