Farmers' protests in Greece, government reacts - Mitsotakis promises payments and support for the sector by December
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis called on farmers to ease their roadblocks and engage in constructive dialogue. He promised significant subsidy payments and support for the sector by the end of December.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on farmers to ease roadblocks, stressing that substantial payments and support will be made available by the end of December.
Farmers have set up roadblocks across Greece to protest an expected shortfall of 600 million euros in subsidies and other payments from the European Union. The funds remain frozen due to a corruption investigation into the distribution of agricultural aid.
Speaking at a health conference in Athens, Mitsotakis said his government remained open to dialogue with farmers, but called for talks to take place after the roads were unblocked. He warned that the protests risked turning broad public opinion against the farmers, even if their demands were justified.
“The government’s door is open,” he said. “It would be better if the dialogue were conducted through open channels, not closed ones. We are ready for talks. We demand that farmers have proper representation, come with clear demands, and engage constructively.”
Mitsotakis acknowledged delays in subsidy payments, but said that “significant payments will be made by the end of December.” He also stressed that any measure must comply with EU rules, highlighting previous mistakes in promising funds that could not be justified later.
In recent days, farmers and ranchers across Greece have intensified road blockades, with hundreds of tractors parked on highways and regional roads. The protests also include the blocking of ports, customs posts and airports.
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