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European farmer protests - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Poland, Hungary, Begluim, Spain, France and Italy have all seen signifcant protesta against a whole range of issues. [1]
      - These protests have blocked roads and beseged government buildings [2]. Methods have included dumping manure, blocking super markets and setting hale bales alight combing mass protests with farming culture.
      - There have been reforms to the system in response to the protests, but these are likely only sticking plasters over growing problems faced by European farmers and an increase in the of fighting climate change [2].
  - - - There are a whole range of issues faced by the farming community in Europe, a situiation has developed which the PM of Belguim has called "a lasagne of problems":
        Volatile prices, high costs, cumbersome legislation and unfair competiton [2]
        
        Critisms have been raised by French farmers of the over beucratistion of farming with government agencies survailing farmers with drones. [3]
      - Another major issue that provided the orginal spark to the protests were nitrogen relguations and required drastic cuts. In the Neatherlands the spark over the whole protests was lit when Dutch MPs proposed halving the number of cattle [4].
        
        This has been seen as a bit of an insult because earlier EU farming policy encrogued farmers to consoldate farms with low profit margins. New enviromental rules will narrow, or remove any money making from farming. [5]
      - The Ukraine war has also created problems for farmers. Following the Russian invasion the EU cut tarriffs on Ukrainian agriculture to support the economy. This has, however, undercut farmers. [5]
        
        This has been a major issue in Ukraines neighburs where farmers have even blockaded roads connecting the countries together. [5]
        
        The EU did respond with imposing restirctions on Ukrainian imports, however, once they were finished Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, all anouced their own. [5]
- - - - Provinical elections
        
        In the 2023 Dutch provincial elections Farmer Citizen Movement (BBB), a right-wing, populist party, had great electoral success [6] winning 15 seats in the 75 seat Senate as well as coming first in 5 provincial assemblies.
        
        This has made it harder for the government to implement their policies as they will face opposition from embolded parties who stood on mandates opposing the green policies [7].
      - National election
        
        Dutch national elections saw the BBB's contuined success, even if it was less impressive then their local election result [8]. The BBB saw their vote share increase by almost 5 times and won 7 seats (compared with one last time).
        
        Since these elections the BBB have remained relativvly stable polling wise with around 5% of the national vote and placing them sixth nationally [8].
        
        Other then the success of the BBB, the populaist, far-right political party the PVV has had immesnse political success [9] comming first with 37 seats [8].
        
        Although the PVV success this not directly linked to the farmers protests (their policies are focused more on an anti-immigration rehtoric [9]), the political instability that was fostered by the farmers protest will likely have boosted their position.
        
        Should anger among European farmers contuine to rise or even be sustained at their current levels this could provide further boosts to right wing or farmers parties.
        
        In particular it could undermine tradiational right wing parties, that have been under threat from the populist right for a fe years, who have historically been able to count rural voters and farmers as core voter base.
  - - - EU reforms currently appear short term and apart from CAP reforms, they will not fix the strucual problems that have been hurting farmers.
      - The EU has also been forced to restrict agircultural imports from Ukraine to appease gorwing concern, espically among Eastern European farmers. [5]
    - - In Germany and France laws and bills linked to deisel taxes have been wattered down or scraped. [5] These governments have also pledged increased support for farmers which has led to farmer's unions suspending protests.