Farmers to spend New Year’s Day at the roadblocks – Which roads will be closed

Farmers taking part in the Nikaia roadblock outside Larissa decided on their next steps through to New Year’s Day during a meeting held shortly after noon on Saturday (27/12).

The farmers agreed 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.

Tomorrow (28/12) at 12:00 noon, they will go to the Makrychori toll station and lift the barriers, allowing vehicles to pass freely for five hours, according to onlarissa.

However, on Monday (29/12) at 4:00 p.m., they will close all service and diversion roads for three hours, in both the direction towards Athens and towards Thessaloniki. “Nothing will pass — neither towards Thessaloniki nor towards Athens,” said Rizos Maroudas, president of the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of Larissa prefecture.

On the same day, tractors will once again head into the centre of Larissa, with farmers handing out leaflets explaining to citizens why they are taking to the roads.

Mr Maroudas criticised the government, saying that “every attempt to turn the Greek people against us boomerangs. All sectors of society support us.”

He also accused the government of “freezing farmers’ bank accounts because they are at the roadblocks. Some people are even unable to submit their OSDE declarations. These practices will not intimidate us under any circumstances. Our decision is a fight for survival, and our survival is the red line beyond which we will not retreat.”

Responding to government claims that most of the demands have been met, the Larissa-based farm unionist said: “We submitted 14 demands at the Nikaia meeting. Of those 14 demands, not a single one has been satisfied — not even those that would not require the spending of a single euro.”

Overpass closed at the Nikaia roadblock

According to the plan, from 1:00 p.m. the overpass at the Nikaia roadblock has been closed, halting vehicle traffic. This measure is expected to remain in force until Tuesday (30/12) at noon, when it will reopen to traffic in order to facilitate holiday travel.

Traffic restrictions in force

Extensive traffic measures came into effect from midday on Saturday, 27 December, on the PATHE motorway, following a decision by the Larissa Police Directorate, due to the farmers’ mobilisations and the establishment of a roadblock at the Nikaia grade-separated junction. The measures have been in force since 12:45 and will remain in place for as long as deemed necessary, with the primary aim of ensuring road safety and preventing traffic accidents.

According to the decision, traffic on sections of the PATHE motorway between the Platycampus, Kileler and Velestino interchanges has been suspended, with διαφοροποιήσεις depending on direction of travel and the gross vehicle weight.

In the direction towards Athens, vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes are not permitted to travel from the Platycampus interchange to the Kileler interchange, while heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are barred up to the Velestino interchange. Similarly, in the direction towards Thessaloniki, light vehicles are prohibited from travelling from Kileler to Platycampus, and heavy vehicles from Velestino to Platycampus.

Traffic is being diverted via alternative routes, primarily through the Old National Road Larissa–Volos, with detours at the Platycampus, Kileler and Velestino interchanges, depending on direction and vehicle category. At the same time, significant measures are also in effect on the Old National Road Larissa–Athens, where vehicles attempting to enter the PATHE motorway from the Nikaia interchange are required to turn back and are redirected to alternative interchanges.

The Larissa Traffic Police are urging drivers to exercise particular caution, follow road signage and the instructions of police officers, and plan their journeys in advance. As noted, failure to comply with the measures will result in penalties under the Highway Code.

Nationwide farmers’ meeting in the new year

At the same time, a decision has been taken to hold a nationwide meeting of farmers in the new year, on a date and at a location to be determined in the coming period, with the aim of further coordinating the mobilisations.

At the Malgara roadblock, the lane towards Athens is currently being closed, while later in the afternoon the ring road in Patras will also be shut.

Farmers block Malgara outbound lanes – Customs checkpoints shut by agricultural roadblocks

Farmers in Central Macedonia are escalating their mobilisations with blockades at customs checkpoints and road networks, following the end of the Christmas holiday period and through to New Year’s Day.

At 1:00 p.m., farmers at Malgara moved to block the outbound lanes towards Athens on the Thessaloniki–Athens national motorway, in line with a decision they have taken, with the closure set to remain in place until Tuesday.

At noon, farmers proceeded to block the Evzoni customs checkpoint in both directions, for all vehicles except emergency cases. The blockade will last until 4:00 p.m. and will be repeated from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., at the same hours daily, until Tuesday.

At the same time, farmers using tractors closed the Promachonas border crossing, at least until Tuesday, but only for freight vehicles, with passenger cars continuing to move normally. Since 5:00 p.m. yesterday, the Exohi (Drama) border crossing has also remained closed to trucks only.

In Chalkidona, farmers are closing the junction from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

The Niki customs checkpoint will be closed for one hour at midday today and again in the evening from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Earlier, farmers from the area drove their agricultural vehicles to the office of New Democracy MP Stavros Papasotiriou in the centre of Florina. Finding it closed, they placed a bale of straw and manure at the entrance of the apartment building as a sign of protest.

Tomorrow at midday, farmers in the area will block the Derveni junction for one hour, while later tonight at 8:00 p.m. they will hold a meeting to provide updates.

Today at midday, farmers from Prasina Fanaria will meet in Epanomi with representatives of agricultural roadblocks from across Central Macedonia to discuss organisational issues related to coordination and improved representation on the nationwide farmers’ committee.

Patras Ring Road to be closed on Saturday afternoon (27/12)

Farmers in Patras are moving ahead with new mobilisations and are considering closing the Patras Ring Road later this afternoon. At present, traffic is flowing normally, as the barrier remains open; however, union representatives say they are leaning towards a blockade using the same method that had been applied in the past.

As the farmers stress, the aim is to exert pressure without fully disrupting the handling of emergency cases.

As for Angelokastro, no blockade is planned. Traffic will continue to flow normally with two lanes in each direction, and there is no intention to once again close the Antirrio–Ioannina National Road.

As a result, the only location where intervention is expected is the Patras Ring Road — a move that is likely to cause traffic problems within the city, as had occurred during previous mobilisations.

Farmers from Corinthia submit a dossier of demands to Tsiaras

A dossier outlining the long-standing problems of the primary sector, along with proposals that could make a substantial contribution to supporting farm income and the local economy, was submitted to the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, by representatives of farmers from Corinthia.

The demands include well-documented interventions on issues such as subsidies, risk management, the impacts of climate change, water management, production costs, and the smooth functioning of the market.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the proposals are based on real data and hands-on experience, a factor that strengthens their credibility and facilitates a meaningful assessment by the ministry’s competent services.

Rodopi farmers’ roadblock closes the Egnatia Motorway again

Following their decision last Monday, ahead of Christmas, to reopen their roadblock on the Egnatia Motorway at the western Komotini interchange, in the direction towards Xanthi, farmers from Rodopi returned to the site today and, from 11:00 a.m., once again blocked traffic on this section of the road.

As a result, drivers are being diverted to the Komotini exit and continue their journey either via the old national road (through Porto Lagos) or via Iasmos, from whose Egnatia interchange they can re-enter the motorway.