Survey: One fifth of Germans affected by nationwide farmers' protests

German farmers' blockades, rallies and tractor marches on Monday affected around one fifth of people in the country, according to a survey conducted by the YouGov Institute.

A total of 19% of people stated that they had been "affected by the farmers' protests" on January 8, the pollsters reported on Wednesday.

The survey did not ask how and to what extent people were affected - for example, whether they were stuck in traffic jams, whether they took detours or worked at home instead of in the office.

The Farmers' Association had called for a week of action to demonstrate against the cancellation of subsidies for the sector. The main issue is the tax concessions for agricultural diesel.

A partial cancellation of the government's savings plans did not placate the association.

"With this lazy compromise, the federal government won't get any tractors off the road," Farmers' Association President Joachim Rukwied said on public broadcaster ZDF's Morgenmagazin programme.

He expressed his satisfaction with the actions so far: "The protests have gone well, they have been orderly and we have kept the emergency lanes clear."

The farmers reserved the right to take further action after January 15, he added. Rukwied emphasized: "The demonstrations are not directed against the population."

According to the survey, 78% of respondents were not affected by protests on Monday and 3% did not say.

The institute surveyed 3,656 people in Germany aged 18 and over on January 9, 2024. The results were weighted and, according to YouGov, are representative of the German population aged 18 and over.