Greek Farmers to Decide on Blockades After PM Meeting Today

Greek farmers will take final decisions on the future of agricultural road blockades on Tuesday, January 20, following a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, representatives of the farming sector said after the talks concluded.

Rizos Maroudas, president of the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of Larissa, said farmers felt dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting. He announced that assemblies would take place on Tuesday at all agricultural blockades across the country to brief participants on the discussions with the prime minister and collectively decide on the next steps.

Maroudas stressed that farmers secured all payments they have received so far through pressure from the blockades. He added that the government has the fiscal capacity to address farmers’ problems but lacks the political will to do so.

Thomas Moschos, president of the Kastoria Agricultural Association, echoed the criticism, saying representatives “hit a wall” during the meeting. He stated that officials failed to answer any of the questions raised by farmers.

Moschos warned that the livestock sector is heading toward collapse and said farmers sought clear and honest answers, which the government did not provide.

Panagiotis Perakis, president of the Volos Fishermen’s Association, also expressed dissatisfaction with the meeting’s outcome. He said participants raised issues such as the invasive pufferfish, marine mammals, and illegal fishing. Perakis emphasized that tackling illegal fishing would benefit both the state and professional fishers.

Konstantinos Leontarakis, president of the Federation of Beekeeping Associations of Greece, said farmers presented the sector’s demands but remain cautious about expectations following the talks. He noted that beekeeping has sent distress signals for years and said the government plans to hold an interministerial meeting under the prime minister to examine the sector’s issues in detail.

Farmers across Greece will now assess the discussions and decide whether to continue or escalate their protest actions.