Greece faces widening farm protests over delayed aid payments

Farmers across Greece are intensifying protests over delays in government farm aid payments, with blockades targeting major highways, ports, and border crossings.

On December 10, demonstrators were expected to obstruct the freight terminal at the port of Volos in central Greece, Caliber.Az reports via Kathimerini.

Blockades have already affected key transport routes, including the Athens-Thessaloniki highway, Egnatia Odos, Ionia Odos, Olympia Odos, and border crossings with Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

A nationwide meeting of protest representatives is scheduled for December 6 at noon in Nikaia, near the central city of Larissa. Organisers plan to draft a common set of demands and appoint a leadership group to coordinate the movement.

The protests follow a series of disruptive actions on Crete, including airport occupations in Iraklio and Hania and highway closures, which prompted a Supreme Court prosecutor on December 9 to order the immediate criminal prosecution of farmers and livestock breeders blocking roads, ports, and airports. The directive targets individuals whose actions interfere with national or regional infrastructure.

Payment delays are linked to ongoing investigations into a corruption scandal, in which some farmers, allegedly with the assistance of state employees, falsified land ownership to secure aid. These audits have slowed subsequent disbursements.

The funding gap comes as farmers and livestock breeders contend with a sheep pox outbreak, which has led to the culling of hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats.

The government has called for dialogue and urged an end to the blockades, acknowledging delays in payments. Officials have pledged that additional disbursements will be released this month, bringing total aid to farmers to €3.7 billion in 2025.

By Aghakazim Guliyev