Since yesterday afternoon, tractors from central and northern Greece have converged at the Castle of Boeotia to participate in a pan-Hellenic rally set for this afternoon in central Athens.
Descent to the Capital and Rally Details:
- The descent begins this morning, aiming to reach Omonia Square by 5:30 PM and Syntagma Square by 6:30 PM via a motorized march.
- Farmers, breeders, and beekeepers will travel to Athens in personal vehicles and buses, with estimates suggesting 60 buses from Thessaly and around 5,000 participants.
- Farmers from Western Greece and the Peloponnese will meet in Megara before joining the central caravan.
- The rally aims to highlight challenges faced by the primary sector and propose solutions for rising production costs.
Traffic Regulations:
- Tractors will descend under police escort from both Boeotia Castle and Megara Attica.
- Buses transporting farmers will park at the Olympic Stadium to minimize traffic disruption.
- Temporary traffic stoppages are expected along the designated route, including Athens Avenue, Achilleos, Karaiskaki Square, Agios Konstantinou Street, Omonia Square, and Panepistimiou Street.
- Vehicle traffic will be suspended on Amalias Avenue, Panepistimiou Street, Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, and all perpendicular streets.
- Vasilissis Sofias will be partially closed from Parliament onwards, with traffic diverted to Sekeri Street.
- Vehicles on Akadimias Street will only be allowed northbound.
Government Response:
- The Prime Minister acknowledged the farmers' justified concerns but stated that additional concessions are unlikely considering previous measures, particularly regarding electricity subsidies.
- He expects the rally to escalate existing mobilizations but believes things will return to normal afterward.
- Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis highlighted discussions on permanently reinstating fuel subsidies for agriculture from 2025 onwards, following their cancellation in 2016.
- Proposed measures include:
- Zero VAT rate for agricultural gas oil (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024) with refund procedures for eligible farmers.
- Advance payments for a portion of eligible refunds.
- Exempted and unalienable amount from the Special Consumption Tax refund.
- Additionally, an 82 million euro refund of the Special Consumption Tax on agricultural oil was announced, with 40 million euros to be distributed by March and the remainder by year-end.
Source: RES-MPE
