Berlin calls, Budapest and Prague respond. The most convinced expressions of solidarity with the German farmers' protest are arriving from Eastern Europe, which began in the first days of the year and culminated on Monday with the arrival at the Brandenburg Gate of around 10 thousand demonstrators, 3000 tractors and 2000 trucks (read EFA News).

In a document released yesterday, the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture (Nak) spoke out in favor of German farmers. According to the Nak, Olaf Scholz 's government is destroying one of the country's economic and existential pillars, namely sustainable food supply. The Hungarian organization therefore encourages the demonstrators to persevere, assuring them of its support. The letter then calls on European lawmakers to seize the current protests as an opportunity to finally recognize the danger of their "unreasonable environmental measures" and pressure for climate protection to the detriment of farmers: a core of political actions that "also threaten the entire EU agricultural sector".

The NAK points out that the heads of state and government of the European Union "have already put Hungarian and Central European agriculture in crisis" by allowing the unlimited import of Ukrainian agricultural products. The only way to protect Hungarian farmers (who - the body claims - have suffered billions in losses) from the market destruction caused by Ukrainian wheat is an import ban, a measure introduced by the state itself, but also necessary at a European level.

The Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic also supports the protest of German farmers against the planned cuts in subsidies and tax breaks and calls for the complete abolition of the agricultural policy, as reported in an official statement by the body's president Jan Doležal. “We are closely monitoring the situation in Germany and stand in 100% solidarity with the local farmers. They are facing similar problems as our farmers and growers,” Doležal wrote. The Agricultural Chamber mainly represents the largest Czech agricultural companies and is a member of the European organization Copa-Cogeca.

“Our common goal is dignified, fair and sustainable agriculture. We don't want anything else and until governments understand this and recognize the agricultural sector as strategic, the very existence of farmers, and therefore the food security of both our countries, will be threatened”, added Doležal, who laments the absence of credible impact studies regarding European agriculture.

"The best thing would be to start from scratch not only in Germany but throughout Europe and abolish subsidies, as well as agricultural policy which is no longer understandable for farmers," he added. The reference is to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) considered obsolete, as it was adopted before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.