On entering the new year, large-scale demonstrations are being staged one after another in various parts of Europe against the agricultural policies of the EU and European governments.

They are also calling for an end to the crisis in the Middle East and protection of the rights of the immigrants.

What arrested attention were the large-scale demonstrations of the farmers that were held during the last few weeks in Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Spain, and other European countries against the agricultural policies of the EU and the incumbent governments.

On February 1, farmers riding on about 1,000 tractors and farm machines crowded in Brussels where the European Council Meeting was held.

They voiced their discontent that their income greatly decreased owing to unfair competition created by import of foreign agricultural produce and that taxes and environmental regulations are strangling them.

In order to quell their anger, the European Commission hurriedly announced a series of schemes to limit the import of produce from Ukraine and ease some environmental regulations related to fallow land.

However, the press comment that such measures are not good enough to end the demonstrations as they would only take effect when they are approved by the EU member states and European Council.

In Germany, the government has taken measures to allow tax exemption for aviation fuel while gradually removing tax exemption for agricultural fuel until 2026.

In protest at this, farmers held a demonstration by amassing more than 400 tractors around Frankfurt Airport.

On February 3 alone, demonstrations demanding government assistance to agricultural sector took place in Italy, Greece, and other European countries simultaneously.

Pro-Palestine demonstrations continue to take place one after another in many European cities since October last year after the Middle East crisis broke out.

At the weekends in January, demonstrations calling for an immediate end to the Middle East crisis took place in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, etc.

The demonstrators put forth the Palestinian flag as well as pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli slogans including “Freedom to Palestinian” and “Stop the killing”.

They strongly demanded that concrete actions be taken to bring an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and defend the rights of the Palestinian people, saying that the children are being deprived of even an opportunity for existence, to say nothing of schools and safe places.

Meanwhile, the fact came to light that there was a discussion among AfD, the ultra-right party on the plan to expel millions of immigrants from Germany, sparking off demonstrations everywhere from the beginning of this year.

The total number of demonstrators across the country reached more than 200,000 last weekend.

The press and experts comment that the reason behind the series of the large-scale demonstrations held with various purpose in every part of Europe is the ever-increasing social and economic contradiction within Europe.