Greek farmers escalated their protests on Monday, blocking airports, roads and border crossings across the country. The demonstrations were sparked by serious delays in the payment of European subsidies and national aid worth about 600 million euros, Reuters reports, quoted by News.bg.
Local media reported that farmers had deployed thousands of tractors and trucks at at least 20 blockades. The situation was most tense on the island of Crete, where protesters invaded the runway at Heraklion airport and threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas. Air traffic was temporarily suspended.
Near Chania airport, another group of farmers broke the windows of police cars with shepherd's crooks and stones. Police said the participants had been identified and would face charges.
The protests come amid a corruption scandal in which some farmers, with the help of government officials, forged agricultural property documents to receive illegal subsidies. The scandal has led to inspections and audits that have delayed payments.
The crisis is also deepening due to a sheeppox epidemic that has led to the mass slaughter of hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats, leaving farmers without income and supplies.
“We have no support, climate change has ruined production, and corruption has allowed people who have nothing to do with agriculture to take huge sums“, said farmer Prokopis Bandzis from the island of Lesbos. “We want justice. Those who have taken illegal subsidies must be held accountable.“
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on farmers to end the blockades and assured that the government is open to dialogue, promising to allocate 3.7 billion euros to support farmers this year.
Nevertheless, the protests continue. In northern Greece, farmers have blocked the border crossings of Promahon (with Bulgaria) and Kipi (with Turkey), allowing only cars and trucks carrying essential goods to pass through. There are also blockades in the southwest and central parts of the country, and farmers have already announced their intention to paralyze the port of Volos. Dozens of tractors are also blocking access to the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos.