Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has expressed hope that a new “strategic dialogue” could help to defuse current farmer demonstrations over environmental laws.
“We all have the same sense of urgency that things need to improve,” von der Leyen said Thursday at a meeting in Brussels with community and business leaders. She regretted “an increasing division and polarisation when it comes to topics related to agriculture.”
“We must overcome this polarisation with dialogue,” she stated, emphasising the importance of finding “a new way forward and common and lasting solutions” for European agriculture.
I hope that you will build the trust to appreciate each other’s perspectives and to find common solutions for the future of agriculture in Europe. This dialogue aims to find a new consensus on issues with which we all struggle,” von der Leyen told the attendees.
Farmers in Germany have been blocking city roadways with their tractors since last month, asking that Chancellor Olaf Scholz reconsider the proposed elimination of a diesel fuel subsidy worth up to €3,000 ($3,260) per year.
The German government justified the move on environmental grounds. Farmers, on the other hand, argue that the plan will drive them out of business and jeopardise their livelihoods.
Similar protests are taking place in France, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, with farmers’ issues anticipated to dominate European Parliament elections later this year.
On Friday, the French government cancelled plans to lower diesel subsidies for farmers after demonstrators blocked a major route out of Paris as well as a road connecting France to Spain.
