German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/147,
pp. 18622-18623.
Many thanks. Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen.
Since 18 December 2023, tens of thousands in Germany again
go into the streets for their right to a self-determined future.
Karl Bär
(Greens): Against the AfD!
Ever fewer people want to allow their lives to be dictated
by a removed, left-green political elite. The people have recognized that this Ampel does not represent their
interests, but pursues one-sided ideological goals without regard to this
country and its citizens.
If the income figures from 2021-22 are superficially looked
at, which have been identified in the 2023 agriculture report, one could gain
the impression that for the farmers it doesn’t go so bad. After all, an income
increase of 50 percent in the conventional area was again attained; in the eco
area, still more four percent was earned. Yet who now says: “These figures show
that it goes well for the German agriculture”, completely fails to recognize
the seriousness of the situation. These profits only still occur because the farmers
meanwhile no longer carry out urgently necessary investments. No one still
invests in a stable or tractor when he does not know whether this investment is
accounted long-term. Many farmers today do not know whether tomorrow their
stable construction fulfills the animal welfare prerequisites. Thus ever more
agricultural entrepreneurs consider giving up.
So it sounds harsh: Regrettably, many farmers have decided
for surrender. After all, since the year 2020, 7,800 agricultural operations
have closed for ever; that is five and a half operations per day, a tendency
strongly rising. The present figures also show this. Thus meanwhile the profits
of the high-earning operations in the 2023-24 year have again in part broken
down by 53 percent.
And what does our Agriculture Minister do?
Stephan
Brandner (AfD): Where is he, actually? He’s gone already! He’s afraid of you!
He demands that our farmers make their contribution to the
savings measures. – Ja gut,
substantive themes apparently do not interest him. – It is inexplicable that
the farmers in times of higher fuel prices should also accept the most massive
tax increases for farm diesel. At the same time, our neighbors from Belgium and
Luxemburg, without any taxation on farm diesel, drive with their tows. After
the elimination of the reimbursement, beside the Dutch, the German farmers
drive with Europe’s most expensive diesel.
At this point, a look at the CDU is worthwhile. For a good
year, they have rejected an AfD motion which has the goal of doubling the
refund.
Stephan
Brandner (AfD): The CDU rejects all that is good!
Johannes
Steiniger (CDU/CSU): You want to abolish all subventions!
Interesting before all is the reason why the motion was
rejected. It is said in the conclusion that the CDU rejects the motion since it
regards diesel as an environmentally harmful material. Now at once, the great
change: The CDU commits itself to the maintenance of the diesel refund.
Alfred Stegemann (CDU/CSU): The AfD wants to abolish all subventions!
That shows the hypocrisy of this party in the face of the
farmers and the working population; since, for all that, it is the Union which introduced
the idling of acreage and has pushed forward the bureaucratization of
agriculture. To now portray themselves as saviors of agriculture is to the highest
degree untrustworthy.
Ladies and gentlemen, now to the enemies of the Mittelstand and the working class. The Ampel government plans to introduce the
farmer soli, and would thereby burden
the German consumer with an additional 3.6 billion euros per year – an absolutely
scandalous plan which hits those who are least able. Meat and milk will thereby
become still more expensive. The money will trickle into the trade, and never
arrive at the producer.
Herr Özdemir, with this measure you make the country’s Tafeln [food banks] into the new
supermarkets, because no one can longer afford the meals. The cheap imports
from the Mercosur states and eastern Europe will further weaken the domestic
farmers. The Ampel government again
demonstrates that it wants to ruin its own people.
We therefore demand: No alibi motions, but authentic
solutions for our farmers’ problems. The farmers want to live by the work of
their hands, without continual patronization by the Politik, especially by the Greens. Germany has the best soils, the
cleverest heads – with exception of the government –
Lisa Badum
(Greens): Unfortunately not in the AfD!
and the best technique to manage agriculture. Yet sadly we
have a government which does not know how to value these resources.
I would like to close with a new farmer’s rule: Who knows
nothing and can do nothing, he then joins the Greens.
Many thanks.
[trans: tem]