Greek farmers block highways and border crossings

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The news in Greek

1. κτηνοτρόφος  (m.)
   άνθρωπος που εκτρέφει ζώα, κυρίως για γάλα, κρέας ή μαλλί ↩︎
2. διαμαρτυρία  (f.)
   έκφραση δυσαρέσκειας ή αντίθεσης, συνήθως δημόσια ↩︎
3. αποζημίωση  (f.)
   χρήματα ή κάτι άλλο που δίνεται σε κάποιον για να καλυφθεί μια ζημιά ή απώλεια ↩︎
4. μπλόκο  (n.)
   εμπόδιο ή φραγμός σε δρόμο για να σταματήσει η κυκλοφορία ↩︎
5. δημιουργώ
   κάνω κάτι να υπάρξει, προκαλώ κάτι νέο ↩︎
6. συγκοινωνία  (f.)
   η μετακίνηση ανθρώπων ή πραγμάτων με μέσα όπως λεωφορεία, τρένα, πλοία ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who is making the big protests in Greece?

Question 2: What does the government say about the protests?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
κτηνοτρόφος  (m.)	livestock farmer
διαμαρτυρία  (f.)	protest
αποζημίωση  (f.)	compensation
μπλόκο  (n.)	roadblock
δημιουργώ	create; cause
συγκοινωνία  (f.)	public transport; traffic

Read the full story

Thousands of Greek farmers and livestock breeders are escalating nationwide protests, blocking major roads, motorways and border crossings. The mobilisations, now in their fourth day, focus on demands for income protection, compensation for losses and support for the primary sector.

Farmers say they are reacting to high production costs, general price increases and reduced EU-related subsidies. Many complain about delayed payments and compensation, especially in regions hit by animal diseases and extreme weather. They argue that, without stronger state support, farming in Greece will become unsustainable.

The government, on the other hand, publicly states that it is ready for dialogue but rejects extended roadblocks. Officials emphasise that protests must not “punish society” and that certain “critical infrastructures” such as major highways, ports and border crossings cannot be occupied. The Minister for Citizen Protection has warned that the state will show “zero tolerance” towards occupations that threaten public safety, national security or public property, and has mentioned the possibility of arrests and serious charges in such cases.

The most visible concentration of vehicles is in Thessaly, the large agricultural plain in central Greece. At the Nikaia roadblock near Larissa, more than 1,000 tractors have shut both directions of the Athens–Thessaloniki motorway. On the E65 motorway near Karditsa, over 2,000 tractors form a column several kilometres long, keeping the road closed. A new blockade is being set up near Megalochori, Trikala. In total, over 4,000–4,500 tractors are reported in Thessaly alone, and local farmer unions say this number is growing daily.

In central Larissa, livestock breeders recently staged a symbolic protest. They poured milk, straw and maize in front of the Courthouse to highlight what they describe as low farm-gate prices, high costs and insufficient compensation for dead animals and destroyed holdings. They also plan further demonstrations at local courts, where several farmers face trials related to earlier protests, and are organising solidarity rallies on those dates.

In Northern Greece, the situation is equally dynamic. At the Malgara toll station300 tractors are parked on the carriageway. The lane towards Athens has remained closed since Monday, and traffic towards Thessaloniki has also been interrupted for shorter periods. Farmers spend the night at the site, lighting fires because of low temperatures. Lorry drivers have visited to express support, explaining that they transport agricultural products, while taxi drivers plan motorcades to the roadblocks as part of their own 48‑hour strike.

Another major focus is the border crossings with North Macedonia. At the Evzoni checkpoint, farmers have already carried out a first full closure in both directions. They allowed passage only for lorries carrying perishable goods and emergency cases. New, longer closures are planned. Farmers from the Pella region are forming convoys from villages such as Paralímni towards Evzoni, while others in Chalkidona have blocked the road between Thessaloniki and Édessa during selected hours.

Farm organisations from Western Macedonia – including areas around Kozani, Florina, Grevena and Kastoria – have set up additional roadblocks on the Pan-European Corridor X and have announced their intention to block the Níki border crossing with North Macedonia. On the Egnatia motorway, another important east–west highway, farmers plan a large joint protest at the Siátista junction with tractors coming from several prefectures.

Further north-east, in the Evros region and Thrace, many protesters are livestock breeders who have suffered from sheep pox (smallpox in sheep and goats). According to the Greek Ministry of Rural Development, about 30% of local flocks have been affected: approximately 420,000 sheep and goats have been culled, and around 2,200 livestock farms have closed. In response, farmers have staged symbolic blockades at the Kípoi border crossing with Turkey, causing temporary closures of sections of the Egnatia motorway between Komotiní and Xánthi and between Alexandroúpolis and Komotiní.

In Epirus, in north‑western Greece, a critical roadblock has been established at the Kálpaki junction. This point is important for heavy vehicles heading to the Kakaviá border crossing with Albania. The road is periodically opened and closed; farmers there intend to continue with timed shutdowns, especially in the evening hours.

Protest actions are also expanding to other regions. In Corinthia, in the north‑eastern Peloponnese, farmers and livestock breeders are organising a demonstration at the Kiato junction, while in Crete the regional coordination of farmers has called for a major gathering in Heraklion. Cretan organisations have announced plans for blockades of ports and airports on the island on a coming Monday, saying that they will not accept visits from inspection teams of the subsidy‑paying agency during the mobilisation period.

A key new step in the escalation is the planned closure of the Promachonas border crossing with Bulgaria, one of Greece’s main northern gateways for trade and travel. Farmers from northern regions intend to block traffic there, adding to the existing pressures on cross‑border movement caused by the roadblocks at Evzoni and the symbolic actions at Kípoi.

The multiple blockades mean that, in practice, Greece is partly “cut in two”, as some media describe it, with significant delays for domestic and international transport. However, organisers of the protests in several areas stress that they are trying to allow emergency vehicles and sometimes trucks carrying sensitive goods to pass. They say their aim is to put pressure on the authorities, not to target ordinary citizens, while government officials underline the need to keep the country’s main transport network functioning.

Both sides are therefore promoting different priorities: farmer unions insist that harsh action is necessary to defend rural livelihoods and the future of Greek agriculture, while the government argues that there is a limit to acceptable disruption and calls for structured talks without extended blockades. As of now, the protests continue, with further general assemblies at the roadblocks expected to decide on the next steps.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching Modern Greek, where we offer Greek lessons online in various formats to suit different learning needs.