Hundreds of farmers began mobilizing protests in front of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food in Athens, Greece on November 23. After a week of protests, the farmers escalated their action into roadway and border crossing blockades on November 30, leading to clashes with local law enforcement.
The farmers reportedly considered lifting the blockades by December 5, but a lack of progress in negotiations with the government has led to their extension through the end of the calendar year. Their chief concern is the delay in the payment of E.U. subsidies, which were halted during an investigation into alleged fraudulent benefit claims. The protesters argue that the guilty parties represent only a small percentage of the agricultural workforce in Greece, and that as many as 139,000 entitled producers are not receiving due payments.
Farmers are also grappling with recent outbreaks of animal disease in sheep and goat herds that led to the culling of over 400,000 animals and prompted further calls for government intervention.
Farmers blockade key transit routes
Farmers have reportedly utilized an estimated 2,500 agricultural tractors to establish blockades along key transit corridors, including the A1 Athens-Thessaloniki National Highway near Nikaia, the E75 highway near Malgara, and along the E65 highway near Karditsa. The Kipi border crossing with Turkey and the Evzoni-Bogorodica border crossing with North Macedonia were blocked on December 2, with an estimated 150 agricultural tractors present at the borders at the time of reporting.
A blockade of the E92 highway is also planned near Megalochōri. Violent clashes with police forces were reported near Nikaia and Platykampos with arrests made. New blockades were announced on December 2 in Thebes, Livadia, Kastoria, Evros, Serres, Promachona, Halkidiki, and Epanomi, and farmers are reportedly considering mobilizing new blockades at the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (IATA: ATH), the Port of Thessaloniki, and the Port of Volos.
The Athens International Airport is the largest airport in the country, handling approximately 94 thousand tons of annual cargo volume and about 28.17 million passengers per year. The Port of Thessaloniki handles nearly 17 million tons of cargo annually, making it the second-busiest cargo port in Greece behind the Port of Piraeus. The Port of Volos is the third-largest cargo port in Greece and is the only outlet to the sea from Thessaly, acting as a bridge between Europe and Asia for agricultural and industrial cargo.
Thus, blockades at these logistics’ points would be detrimental to the continuity of cargo transport. Farmers in Crete had reportedly joined the protest in solidarity, blocking ports and airports on the island, though details of this demonstration remain scarce.
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