Farmers escalate mobilisations despite divisive moves – Which roads will be closed

Strong reactions have been triggered within the farming community by the sudden move of representatives from 18 roadblocks, who are calling for conditions to be created for the start of substantive dialogue with the government. This decision is seen as serving the government’s interests and comes just a few hours after decisions taken at the Nikaia roadblock and in Malgara, Thessaloniki, to escalate the struggle.

The vice-president and spokesperson of the Larissa Federation of Agricultural Associations, Sokratis Aleiftiras, told NEWS 24/7 that this is an incomprehensible move on the part of certain agricultural roadblocks that does not serve the unity of the movement.

“At a time when we are constantly receiving calls from parliamentary representatives asking for the mobilisations to stop, such moves are nothing but incomprehensible and divisive,” he said.

“I call on them to retract and to move forward together with the nationwide Roadblocks Committee and the decisions that are being taken. Only by standing together can we achieve results,” he added.

Speaking to NEWS 24/7, the president of the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of Larissa prefecture, Rizos Maroudas, said that these are individuals who have distanced themselves, while many of the farmers involved, according to him, “do not have approval from their own roadblocks”.

“Let them do as they see fit. We are escalating our struggle, as we decided at our meeting in Nikaia, and we are continuing with a view to the nationwide meeting that will take place at the beginning of the year,” he commented.

It is recalled that representatives of agricultural roadblocks gathered in Epanomi, Thessaloniki, where they decided “to create the conditions with a view to initiating substantive dialogue with the government”.

As they state in an announcement they issued, “the situation prevailing, by common admission of the entire Greek society and not only that of farmers, is such that the immediate resolution of problems of vital importance is imperative, as these have been presented to the government”.

“The need for the launch of a meaningful dialogue on the present and future of Greek agriculture and livestock farming became evident. Away from ulterior motives and manoeuvres such as those promoted by the government, targeting and unjustly destroying genuine fellow farmers, we convey the message away from sterile confrontations and towards a fruitful — substantive — dialogue, guided by the good of the entire national economy,” they note.

The same representatives also call on other farmers “to jointly come forward and stand together at the negotiating table”.

Vasilis Mavroskas, a farmer at the Prasina Fanaria roadblock, told NEWS 24/7: “We will begin to create the conditions for the start of substantive dialogue. We do not submit to political expediencies, and we want to express our outrage at the attempt by the government to smear honest farmers, such as Anestidis.”

“We remain at our roadblocks and are pleased that society is embracing our mobilisations,” he added.

According to him, the meeting was attended, among others, by farmers from Kerdyllia (Serres), Drama, Prasina Fanaria, Evros, Niselis (Imathia), Skydra (Pella), Chalkidona and Mikrothives.

It is noted that in recent hours rumours and leaks have been circulating about roadblocks that are willing to enter into dialogue with the government.

 

New Year’s Day at the roadblocks

Despite the above-mentioned divisive move, farmers across Greece proceeded on Saturday (27/12) with new blockades, escalating their mobilisations ahead of the nationwide conference scheduled to take place in the coming days.

Representatives at the Nikaia roadblock stressed that, so far, no substantive responses have been given by the government. They noted that since there is no willingness on the government’s part to sit down at the negotiating table, they will not take part in a merely token dialogue.

Farmers and livestock breeders are awaiting developments until New Year’s Day; otherwise, they warn that they will further harden their stance.

At the meeting that was held, it was decided to close the overpass that had been opened to traffic to facilitate Christmas holiday travel, with plans for it to reopen next Tuesday, 30 December.

On Sunday morning at 12:00, they will go to the Makrychori toll station and lift the barriers, allowing vehicles to pass freely for five hours.

However, on Monday, 29 December, at 4:00 p.m., all service and diversion roads will be closed for three hours, in both the direction towards Athens and towards Thessaloniki. On the same day, tractors will once again head into the centre of Larissa.

At the same time, the outbound lanes from Thessaloniki towards Athens have been closed again at the Malgara toll roadblock, with drivers, in coordination with traffic police, being diverted via the Chalastara bypass.

The road had been open in both directions during the Christmas holidays; however, from Saturday and until further notice, the lane towards Athens is once again completely closed. The lane towards Thessaloniki is expected to be symbolically closed on Monday.

On Tuesday, however, both directions will reopen to facilitate holiday travel.

Meanwhile, both directions at the Promachonas customs checkpoint remain closed to freight vehicles. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, passage will be free for all vehicles.

The biggest problem, however, remains on the Bulgarian side, where drivers report that the queue of lorries stretches for more than 15 kilometres.

At the same time, farmers in northern Greece are moving to block the Evzoni customs checkpoint. The outbound lane of the checkpoint remains open, as does the inbound lane, until the mobilisation begins. According to farmers’ statements, they are expected to position their tractors and proceed with a full blockade of both entry and exit lanes of the checkpoint, for both freight and passenger vehicles. The blockade will last for four hours.

A similar situation is unfolding in Patras, where farmers and livestock breeders have blocked the Eglikada junction on the city’s main ring road.

The farmers and livestock breeders had lifted the blockade at the junction on Christmas Eve to facilitate holiday travel. Following the new blockade, vehicle traffic is once again being diverted to the local road network of Patras, via the K1 Port of Patras and Glafkos interchanges.