Greek farmers threaten march to Athens amid prolonged protests

After a month of nationwide protests, Greek farmers show no signs of backing down, and may escalate their action by marching with tractors to the capital, Athens.

The third all-Greece meeting of protesting farmers is scheduled for January 4 at Malgara, a highway interchange near Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, Caliber.Az reports via Greek media.

Farmers are demanding guaranteed production prices, subsidized electricity, exemption from value-added tax, and a halt to tariff-free imports under EU trade agreements. They also seek an immediate doubling of pensions and the reversal of government plans to transfer farm subsidy disbursement from the agency OPEKEPE to the independent tax authority AADE. Many are opposing the EU-mandated online system for recording production and shipments.

The government is weighing its response carefully, conscious of potential political fallout. Support for the ruling conservative New Democracy party has declined in rural areas, while elections are expected in the first half of 2027—or possibly earlier. Officials face pressure both from farmers and from centrist voters who favour a tougher line against what they see as extreme demands, despite previous support for reform policies.

Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis reported that government payments to farmers reached €3.82 billion in 2025, up 13% from 2024, though delays occurred due to past subsidy scandals. Hatzidakis apologised publicly and announced a hybrid reporting system for 2025, moving to fully digitized payments in 2026. A special one-off support package has also been approved for cotton and wheat producers, whose production costs currently exceed market prices—cotton, for example, costs €280 per stremma to produce but farmers receive €230.

By Vugar Khalilov