Greek farmers’ road blockades intensify nationwide

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The news in Greek

1. αγρότης  (m.)
   άνθρωπος που καλλιεργεί τη γη και ζει από τη γεωργία ↩︎
2. διαμαρτύρομαι
   εκφράζω έντονα ότι δεν συμφωνώ με κάτι ή ότι κάτι είναι άδικο ↩︎
3. παραγωγή  (f.)
   η διαδικασία με την οποία φτιάχνονται προϊόντα ή αγαθά ↩︎
4. προϊόν  (n.)
   κάτι που παράγεται ή φτιάχνεται για να πουληθεί ή να χρησιμοποιηθεί ↩︎
5. επιδότηση  (f.)
   χρήματα που δίνει το κράτος για να βοηθήσει μια ομάδα ή έναν κλάδο ↩︎
6. κυβέρνηση  (f.)
   ομάδα ανθρώπων που διοικεί μια χώρα και παίρνει πολιτικές αποφάσεις ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: How are the farmers in Greece showing their protest?

Question 2: What do the farmers want from the government?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
αγρότης  (m.)	farmer
διαμαρτύρομαι	to protest / to complain
παραγωγή  (f.)	production
προϊόν  (n.)	product
επιδότηση  (f.)	subsidy
κυβέρνηση  (f.)	government

Read the full story

Farmers across Greece have stepped up a wave of road blockades, parking thousands of tractors on key motorways and border crossings to protest against what they describe as a survival crisis in the countryside. They say they will not remove the blockades until the government responds to their main demands on production costs, product prices and delayed subsidies.

The most visible protest is at the Nikaia junction near Larissa in central Greece, where farmers from the wider Thessaly region are gathering in growing numbers. Their goal is to bring more than 1,000 tractors to the site. The Athens–Thessaloniki national highway, the main road connecting northern and southern Greece, remains blocked in both directions at this point, forcing traffic onto smaller alternative routes.

A second large concentration has formed on the E65 motorway near Karditsa, where more than 1,500 tractors are reported. Farmers there have set up tents, stoves and makeshift kitchens, indicating that they are preparing for a long-term mobilization. Parts of the E65 are completely closed to vehicles at the Karditsa junction and on a section between Sofades and Proastio.

In northern Greece, farmers from the municipality of Delta have blocked the Malgara tolls on the main highway towards Athens. One carriageway remains closed indefinitely, while the farmers plan daily, time-limited closures of the lane towards Thessaloniki. Elsewhere, more than 150 tractors have blocked the road at the Evzoni border crossing to North Macedonia, and smaller groups have carried out temporary closures near Doirani and on the Egnatia motorway in the region of Komotini.

Farmers’ organizations have also announced or already carried out blockades in Epirus, Western Achaia, Aigialeia, Imathia, Serres and Rodopi. In Epirus, for example, tractors have closed the national road between Ioannina and Kakavia at the Kalpaki junction for several hours at a time, while in Serres farmers are preparing to move towards the Promachonas border crossing with Bulgaria. Many of these actions are described as part of a nationwide coordinated strategy decided in recent assemblies.

The protesters’ stated demands are similar across the country. They call for lower production costs, especially for fuel and electricity, and complain that the prices they receive for their products are too low compared with the retail prices paid by consumers. They also want faster payment of EU and national subsidies and compensation, including those managed by the Greek agency OPEKEPE and the agricultural insurance fund ELGA. Livestock farmers point to additional problems such as sheep and goat pox, which they say has seriously damaged their herds.

Farmer representatives argue that recent subsidy payments were late and insufficient and that in some cases money was withheld or offset against other debts. Some also criticise what they see as unequal treatment compared with individuals who allegedly received funds irregularly in the past. At several blockades, including Nikaia and E65, assemblies have voted to intensify the protests and to improve coordination between regions. Many say they will “not take a step back” until they see concrete measures.

The mobilizations have attracted support from other professional groups. Taxi drivers have launched a 48‑hour nationwide strike and are expected to appear at the Nikaia blockade, while livestock farmers and beekeepers in different regions are joining the tractor lines. In Karditsa and Larissa, farmer unions are also organizing courtroom demonstrations in support of colleagues facing charges after earlier clashes with police.

Local political leaders in Thessaly, including the mayor of Larissa and the regional governor of Thessaly, have visited the main blockades to show support for the farmers’ concerns. The regional governor publicly condemned violent incidents that occurred during previous confrontations and pledged to stand “in the front line” of the mobilizations. For many local authorities in rural regions, the protests highlight long‑standing structural problems in Greek agriculture, particularly after recent extreme weather events that caused major losses.

The Greek government, however, has taken a different position on the road closures. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has repeatedly stated that “the roads must remain open”, arguing that long‑distance blockades cause serious disruption to the wider public and to the economy. He has asked the police to act so that highways are cleared of tractors and has insisted that laws on free movement must be respected.

At the same time, senior officials say they are willing to hold talks. Deputy prime minister Kostis Hatzidakis has stressed that the government’s “door is open for dialogue at any moment”. He has called on farmers to consider whether continued blockades might turn other social groups and local communities against their cause. According to his statements, the government believes it is already taking substantial steps to support agriculture and to reform the system of subsidies.

Government representatives point out that in the current year, payments from OPEKEPE, the Agriculture Ministry and the Finance Ministry to farmers are planned to reach about €3.7 billion, an increase compared with the previous year. They argue that new rules for the management and control of EU agricultural payments aim to ensure greater transparency and social fairness, protecting honest farmers and avoiding demands from the European Commission to return misused funds. Officials also highlight tax reductions, fuel rebates and electricity support measures introduced in recent years.

Despite these assurances, the current stand‑off remains unresolved. Many farmers say they do not feel the improvements in their everyday lives and are demanding more immediate relief from rising costs and extreme weather damage. The government, while emphasizing its readiness for negotiation, insists that major transport corridors cannot stay blocked and that the police will work “as quickly and efficiently as possible” to keep them open.

For now, the situation is a kind of test of strength between determined farmer unions and a government that wants to show it is both supportive of agriculture and protective of public order. With tractors still parked across highways from Thessaly to Macedonia and Epirus, and new local assemblies planning further actions, it is uncertain how and when a compromise will be reached.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching modern Greek through online courses and Greek classes.