Newsroom
Greek farmers have deployed more than 2,500 tractors to major highways, shutting key routes in the biggest agricultural protest in over a decade. What began as frustration over delayed EU subsidy payments has escalated into a standoff that could stretch into January.
Blockades are concentrated at Nikaia on the Athens–Thessaloniki highway and the E-65 near Karditsa, with farmers joking they might “celebrate Christmas on the asphalt.” The last full road closures during farm protests were in the early 2010s over similar payment disputes.
The immediate trigger is the government’s advance subsidy payments. Of the €363 million distributed this year, down from €476 million last year, roughly €280 million reached farmers after insurance deductions. About 139,000 producers were left unpaid, including those with frozen tax IDs, cadastral issues, or missing pastureland records tied to previous subsidy scandals.
Tensions boiled over Sunday when riot police used chemicals and stun grenades to block farmers pushing toward the Athens–Thessaloniki highway, injuring several and leading to three arrests. Crowds later gathered outside Larissa’s courthouse in solidarity. Police have been told to prioritize dialogue, though communication remains difficult.
The protests cross party lines, and while subsidies lit the fuse, farmers insist their demands go further.
“It’s not about giving us something so we go home,” one group said. “It’s about finally understanding the problems and fixing them.”
The standoff adds pressure to a government already grappling with inflation, rising agricultural costs, and long-running subsidy scandals, and farmers say they won’t back down until they see real change.
