Farmers call for two committees to attend the meeting with Mitsotakis

Farmers are stepping up preparations for their meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, scheduled for Tuesday, 13 December, at the Maximos Mansion.

Following yesterday’s meeting of the nationwide committee coordinating the blockades, farmers decided to request two separate meetings with the prime minister, involving two committees that would represent the entire primary sector.

Specifically, the first committee would consist of 25 farmers, while the second would include 10 representatives from livestock farming, fisheries, and beekeeping, so that all producers’ issues can be put on the table.

Speaking to NEWS 24/7, the vice president of the Larissa Federation of Agricultural Associations and farmers’ spokesperson, Sokratis Aleiftiras, said that farmers have submitted a request to the prime minister regarding the two committees and are awaiting a response. “Since Mr Mitsotakis has stated that he wants representation from the entire primary sector, we expect to see this reflected in practice,” he commented. He added that “if we leave the meeting without securing our survival, the path of escalation—total blockades or other forms of action—will be the only way forward in order to convince the government and society, which stands by us, that our demands are justified.”

Escalation, should their core demands not be met, appears to be a one-way street.

At the same time, farmers and livestock producers have not yet finalised the exact names of those who will make up the delegation, pending the prime minister’s response. They have, however, decided that representatives will come both from the blockades and from all 13 geographical regions of the country. The final number will depend on the size and participation levels of the blockades. Thessaly, which has the largest blockades, is expected to have more representatives.

Farmers also appear ready to put all their demands on the table—all 14 of them, including those that have already been specified in detail. “We are expecting solutions to our problems. It is truly vital for us that what we are saying is taken seriously. We are going in with low expectations,” said Kostas Tzelas, president of the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of Karditsa, speaking to NEWS 24/7.

It is also noted that farmers are calling for transparency in the meeting with the prime minister, requesting the presence of cameras and the keeping of official minutes, so that farmers and the public can follow how the dialogue unfolds.

“We genuinely want everything to be recorded in minutes and brought into the public debate, so we can see what everyone says there. This is about finding out whether the prime minister has clear solutions and whether he understands how crucial our demands are for survival in the primary sector. I don’t think anyone has anything to hide. There will be dialogue—clear, transparent dialogue,” Mr Aleiftiras stressed.

However, in his regular weekly review of the government’s work, the prime minister made no reference to the agricultural issue.

Responses to the farmers’ request for the two committees are still pending and are expected to be given promptly, as the meeting is scheduled for the day after tomorrow.