Highways blocked as farmers escalate protests

The national highway connecting the northern port city of Thessaloniki to Moudania, Halkidiki will remain closed until 8 p.m. on Sunday as farmers escalate their protests.

Farmers initiated the blockade around 1.30 p.m. at the Moudania junction, blocking both directions of the highway.

Also, the national highway from Thessaloniki to Polygyros, Halkidiki is blocked at the Galatista village intersection. The duration of this closure is currently unknown.

Traffic is being diverted through alternative routes.

Earlier on Sunday, the government reiterated its support measures for farmers, while signaling fiscal constraints, as state-run broadcaster ERT reported.

Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with the protesting farmers’ representatives, the prime minister, in his weekly social media update on Sunday, stated, “We are open to dialogue, with open roads.”

Furthermore, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, in an interview on SKAI TV on Saturday morning, left open the possibility of an earlier reinstatement of the special consumption tax on agricultural diesel, amounting to 82 million euros.

Despite signaling fiscal constraints on benefits, the government is reviewing the farmers’ letter outlining their demands. Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Thanasis Kontogeorgis, stated in an interview published on ethnos.gr on Sunday, “The country’s economy is improving, which is why we can provide this package of measures to support farmers. However, resources are not limitless, and the government’s goal is the fair distribution of resources to ensure social cohesion. Nevertheless, we are open to productive dialogue without tensions, and this will be reflected in the prime minister’s meeting with representatives of the agricultural sector in Athens on Tuesday.”