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		</div><p>Farmers have blocked highway access roads in parts of Germany and gathered for demonstrations, launching a week of protests against a government plan to scrap tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture.</p>
<p>Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpopular three-party coalition infuriated farmers last month by drawing up plans to abolish a car tax exemption for farming vehicles and the diesel tax breaks. The proposals were part of a package to fill a 17 billion euro (£14.6 billion) hole in the 2024 budget.</p>
<p>The government climbed down partially on Thursday, saying that the car tax exemption would be retained and the cuts in the diesel tax breaks would be staggered over three years.</p>
<figure id="attachment_181231" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-181231" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3EA14222-545A-412A-B3A5-F45E6B4B1986.webp" alt="" width="640" height="427" class="size-full wp-image-181231" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-181231" class="wp-caption-text">A demonstration takes place in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin</figcaption></figure>
<p>But the German Farmers’ Association insists on the plans being reversed fully and will go ahead with a “week of action” starting on Monday.</p>
<p>In some areas, farmers used tractors to block entry roads to major roads early on Monday.</p>
<p>A protest was planned in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and a string of other demonstrations using tractors were planned across the country.</p>
<p>The protests are under scrutiny after a group of farmers on Thursday prevented vice chancellor Robert Habeck from disembarking a ferry in a small North Sea port as he returned from a personal trip to an offshore island.</p>
<p>That incident drew condemnation from government and opposition figures and the farmers association.</p>
<p>Authorities have warned that far-right groups and others could try to capitalise on the protests.</p>
<p>Farmers’ association chairman Joachim Rukwied told RBB Inforadio Monday that “we will ensure we are not infiltrated” by such groups.</p>
<p>Of the government’s partial climbdown, Mr Rukwied said: “This is absolutely insufficient. We can’t carry this additional tax burden.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_181232" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-181232" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4C3CB04E-9145-46A8-B71A-3D5F5A09065B.webp" alt="" width="640" height="427" class="size-full wp-image-181232" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-181232" class="wp-caption-text">The government plan to scrap tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture has proven deeply unpopular</figcaption></figure>
<p>The budget revamp that included the disputed cuts was required after Germany’s highest court annulled an earlier decision to repurpose 60 billion euro (almost £51.6 billion) originally meant to cushion the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic for measures to help combat climate change and modernise the country.</p>
<p>The manoeuvre fell afoul of Germany’s strict self-imposed limits on running up debt.</p>
<p>On top of potential disruption caused by the farmers’ protests, travellers in Germany face a nearly three-day strike later this week by a union representing many of the country’s train drivers, which is stepping up its action against state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn in an unrelated dispute over working hours and pay.</p>
<p>The GDL union is calling on its members to walk out from 2am on Wednesday until 6pm on Friday.</p>
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