What’s your take on the Swiss farmers’ protest?
Farmers in Europe have been expressing their anger with pitchforks, posters and tractors in recent weeks. Now, the protests have also reached Switzerland. However, something is different here.
After Germany, the farmers’ protests have extended to Greece, France, Romania and Spain. They are protesting against heavy administrative burdens and rising production costs putting pressure on their income.
Swiss farmers are feeling increasingly threatened by international competition and are concerned that the Swiss government will sign an agreement with MERCOSUR, the Southern Common Market. This regional integration process, initially established by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was subsequently joined by Venezuela and Bolivia, which are currently complying with the accession procedure.
On February 3, the Swiss farmers protested to raise awareness about their grievances. While the demonstrations have so far been more or less limited to western and north-western parts of the country, some smaller protests have taken place in cities as well.
According to the Keystone-SDA news agency, around 30 farmers took to the streets in Geneva, accompanied by more than 200 people. More than 60 farmers travelled together from canton Basel Country via canton Solothurn to canton Aargau. In canton Ticino, traces of the isolated protests were left behind: a few road signs had been partially knocked over with rubber work boots attached to them.
The concerns are similar to those in other countries: fair pay, fair prices, increased recognition for their labour and fewer requirements.
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A different political system
However, the protests in Switzerland are different – especially in terms of their scale and fervour. Unlike what was seen in Germany or France, protests in Switzerland remained peaceful and the number of farmers protesting was manageable.
This is primarily due to the difference in the political system. According to Peter Walthard from the Bauernzeitung, farmers are better listened to Switzerland. “Here, agreements are sought through finding a common ground, direct democracy, federalism, short distances, a tradition of involving social partners and seeking dialogue,” he told the newspaper. In Germany, there is a feeling that politicians no longer listen to or take the demands of farmers into consideration at all, Walthard told SRF.
Differences in the market
There is also a difference in the market environment. “This means that small family farms may still have a better chance of survival if you think about mountain farming. Whereas in the EU, the pressure is much greater to have large farms that can also produce cheaply.”
Protests in Switzerland could also pick up intensity. “I don’t want to rule out the possibility of canton Bern’s farmers’ association calling for a peaceful protest with road blockades,” Jürg Iseli, president of the Bern Farmers’ Association, told the newspaper Der Bund.
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Adapted from German by Claire Micallef/amva
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