Farmer protests in Europe: What do they want?

European farmers have been staging protest demonstrations with their tractors on the roads from Berlin to Paris, Brussels to Bucharest, and many other capitals in recent weeks. Among the concerns of the protesters are competition caused by cheap imports, rising energy and fertilizer costs, and environmental regulations. Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and now also Spain have farmers staging protest demonstrations. Media outlets described the protests as a 'net zero rebellion,' noting that they are against the 'green' rules introduced after the European Green Deal. However, the reason for the rebellion is not solely this While the starting point of the protests is sometimes related to the climate crisis, other reasons include agreements that have not yet come into force, such as the European Green Deal and the South American Trade Agreement. WHY DID THE FARMERS REVOLT? In December, the German government announced plans to cut subsidies and spending to close the country's 17 billion euro deficit in the 2024 budget. Among these plans were cuts to agricultural subsidies and tax breaks. This also led to an outbreak of farmer protests. Since then, farmers across the EU have also taken to the streets. According to some analyses, among the problems raised by EU farmers are falling sales prices, rising costs, heavy regulations, powerful and authoritarian retailers, debt burden, climate crisis, fallowing, and cheap imports. WHY IS IMPORTATION A PROBLEM? Since Russia's occupation of Ukraine, heavy imports from Ukraine by the EU, policies such as quotas and tax exemptions negatively affect local farmers. Moreover, the resumption of trade agreement negotiations between the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur, especially in sectors such as sugar, cereals, and meat, raises concerns about unfair competition. This weakens the competitiveness of local farmers. The fact that imported products do not meet the EU's environmental standards increases pressure on European prices and increases local farmers' dissatisfaction with imports. The European Commission has proposed an 'emergency brake' to limit agricultural imports from Ukraine, focusing on the most sensitive products, such as chicken, eggs, and sugar, but producers say the quantity is still too high. WHY IS FALLOWING LAND A PROBLEM? Farmers also object to new EU subsidy rules, such as the requirement to leave 4% of agricultural land fallow. French farmers criticize excessive bureaucracy, saying their government has made implementation too complicated. DIESEL FUEL IS ALSO A REASON FOR THE PROTEST In major agricultural producers in the EU like Germany and France, farmers have opposed plans to end subsidies or tax breaks on agricultural diesel. Greek farmers, on the other hand, want a reduction in taxes on diesel. Paris and Berlin have succumbed to pressure and even backtracked on their plans. IS THE FAR RIGHT EXPLOITING THE PROTESTS? This year will see many elections worldwide. Europe is one of those places. Comments have begun to emerge suggesting that there could be a shift to the right among EU citizens following the protests. Meanwhile, in the EU media, it is noted that far-right parties in many European countries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, are capitalizing on farmers' anger. WILL THE PROTESTS GROW? Climate change, water scarcity, soil erosion, and extreme weather events are causing challenges for farmers. Agriculture is important not just as an economic sector but also in terms of national security and sustainability. However, the Ukraine-Russia war jeopardizes energy supply in agricultural products. Rising energy prices and geopolitical uncertainty are affecting farmer protests more. Conservative and far-right politicians promise to restore farmers' security and stability. However, with the geopolitical developments arising from the Ukraine-Russia war and rising energy prices, the influence of lobbyists in Brussels, and increased bureaucratic procedures, it seems that protests will not end until these issues are addressed.