With tractors lined up on the side of Greece’s roads for a month now, Greek farmers and livestock breeders continue their protests and roadblocks across the country, pressing the government to address their demands ahead of a critical meeting on Friday.
The meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM at Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food, where farmers and livestock breeders will present what they consider non-negotiable demands for their survival.
The Broader Context
The protests take on added significance following an exclusive report by Politico, which alleges that Greece’s independent body responsible for distributing Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies is at the center of a €45 million annual fraud scandal currently under investigation by the European Commission.
According to Politico, some Greek farmers have been receiving subsidies for land they do not own, manage, or cultivate, with the scandal particularly centered on the island of Crete.
Meanwhile, other Greek farmers—many of whom have been protesting—are struggling with soaring production costs due to inflation, which has driven up energy and material prices, as well as the growing impact of climate change, which has reduced yields and increased financial strain, and even a nationwide issue with goat plague.
Farmers from the region of Thessaly in particular, that saw their livlihoods obliterated by storm Daniel two years ago, are seeking compensation and support from the government, which they say has been slow to materialize and insufficent.
About Friday’s Meeting with the Greek Government
The farmers and livestock breeders will be represented by a delegation of 21 to 23 representatives from roadblocks across Greece, including Evros, Central and Western Macedonia, Central Greece, Western Greece, the Peloponnese, and Crete. However, most representatives will come from the major roadblocks in Thessaly, specifically E65 in Karditsa and Gyrtoni in Larissa.
A flooded town by the Storm Daniel , in Astritsa village, Karditsa on September 8, 2023. / Πλημμυρισμένο πόλη απο την κακοκαιρία Daniel στο χωριό Αστρίτσα, στην Καρδίτσα , στις 8 Σεπτεμβρίου , 2023
Participating in the discussions on behalf of the government will be Kostas Tsiaras, Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christos Staikouras, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Alexandra Sdoukou, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Christos Dimas and Thanos Petralias, Deputy Ministers of National Economy and Finance.
After the meeting, the farmers will relay the government’s responses to their local roadblocks, where general assemblies will determine the future course of their mobilization.
Following the discussions, farmers will return to their roadblocks to evaluate the government’s response and determine whether or not they will continue their roadblocks. According to OT, they will conduct local assemblies and then hold a national meeting to determine next steps.
Key Discussion Topics
According to sources, the government is considering partial satisfaction of some farmer demands, including tax-free agricultural fuel directly at the pump and reduced electricity costs for agriculture. Specifically, the government is examining redefining criteria and the method of refunding the Special Consumption Tax on fuel. For electricity, the existing regulations may be extended, but the request for a 7-cent per kilowatt-hour cap appears unlikely to be met.
Additionally, discussions will cover irrigation and infrastructure projects, compensation for damages from storm Daniel, a new regulatory framework for ELGA (Greek Agricultural Insurance Organization).
A farmers’ protest in the central Greece city of Larissa, in February (EUROKINISSI)
Summary of Farmers’ Key Demands
For over three weeks, farmers and livestock breeders from Evros to Crete have been protesting with a set of demands, which they expect the government to address:
- Compensation for lost income due to reduced production and low prices.
- Measures to reduce production costs, including: tax-free agricultural fuel at the pump, electricity cap at 7 cents per kilowatt-hour, subsidies for fertilizers, agricultural supplies, and animal feed
- Full compensation (100%) for damages to livestock, agricultural capital, and crops.
- Revision of the ELGA framework to cover all natural disasters and diseases at all production stages.
- Guaranteed minimum prices for agricultural products, covering production costs, ensuring both livelihood sustainability for farmers and affordable consumer prices.
- Implementation of infrastructure projects and preventive measures for disaster and disease protection.
- Ensuring subsidies remain available despite weather-related production losses.
- Stronger enforcement against fraudulent imports of agricultural products labeled as Greek (“hellenization”), including better staffing of state agencies.
- Immediate increase in farmers’ pensions.
