(Bloomberg) -- A violent protest over planned cuts to agriculture subsidies is just the latest evidence of how deeply unpopular the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has become.

Senior figures from across the political divide condemned a group of around 100 farmers after they prevented Economy Minister Robert Habeck from disembarking a ferry on the north coast on Thursday. Police scuffled with demonstrators, who appeared to be trying to storm the boat, and Habeck was only able to reach land after switching to a different vessel.

The incident, shared widely on social media, amplified the sense of disarray around Scholz’s three-party coalition just over two years into its four-year term and prompted warnings about the increasingly angry mood in Europe’s biggest economy.

Support for the ruling alliance of the chancellor’s Social Democrats, Habeck’s Greens and the Free Democrats has plunged in opinion polls, even after it successfully steered Germany through the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Scholz and his ministers have struggled to effectively communicate legislative achievements, including an increase in the minimum wage, while a court ruling last year threw their finance planning into disarray and prompted budget cuts that have enraged the farmers, among others.

Scholz, who has persistently sought to convey a message of calm optimism, was heckled on Thursday by a small group of demonstrators during a visit to flood-affected areas in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt.

An Infratest Dimap poll for public broadcaster ARD published later that day showed that more than 80% of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the government.

Scholz’s personal approval rating slipped by one point to 19%, the lowest for a German chancellor since the survey was first conducted in 1997, while combined support for the three ruling parties fell to 32%, only one point more than the main opposition CDU/CSU on 31%.

A mere 13% of those surveyed are optimistic about the outlook for Germany, while 83% said that they were anxious about the future. The far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has been able to tap into some of that anxiety, increased its support in second place to 22%.

Scholz’s chief spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, played down the latest incidents at Friday’s regular government news conference and said the ruling coalition was focusing on “moving the country forward in very difficult times.”

“In many western democracies there is a growing feeling of dissatisfaction because the world no longer seems to be as simple as it used to be,” he told reporters.

Habeck, who is also the vice chancellor, defended the farmers’ right to protest, calling it “a valuable asset,” but said he was also worried about growing anger among voters.

“Coercion and violence destroy this asset,” he said in a statement emailed by his ministry. “We should push back against this in our words and actions.”

The head of the DBV farm lobby distanced himself from the farmers’ assault on Habeck, calling their actions a “no-go.”

“Personal attacks, insults, threats, coercion or violence are not acceptable,” DBV President Joachim Rukwied said in a post on X. “Despite our displeasure, we naturally respect the privacy of politicians.”

Germany’s farmers already took to the streets of Berlin late last year to express their fury over government plans to end a subsidy on diesel used in agriculture as part of savings in the 2024 budget.

Read More: Germany Rejects Calls by Angry Farmers to Reopen Budget Package

In an effort to appease them, Scholz’s governing alliance on Thursday said it had agreed to remove the subsidy in steps over the next three years to give farmers more time to adjust. It also decided not to abolish a vehicle-tax break for the forestry and agriculture sectors.

Rukwied immediately called the move “insufficient,” insisting that both proposals “must be taken off the table.” He said the lobby would go ahead with nationwide protests planned for next week and culminating in another major demonstration in Berlin on Jan. 15.

“This is clearly also about the future viability of our industry and the question of whether domestic food production is still desirable at all,” Rukwied said. “We therefore remain committed to our week of action.”

(Updates with latest opinion poll in starting in seventh paragraph)

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