Tractors vs. government: Greek farmers launch nationwide revolt

Greece’s agricultural front has reopened with force, as the protests launched on 30 November spread across key points of the national road network and reignite a broader debate over the future of the country’s primary sector. Farmers from Thessaly, Macedonia, Thrace and Central Greece have deployed tractors at major junctions, denouncing surging production costs, the impact of natural disasters and what they describe as a deepening uncertainty threatening the viability of thousands of farms.

One striking element is the absence of mobilisations in Crete so far – a region at the centre of the recent OPEKEPE agricultural subsidies scandal. According to some observers, this has influenced how the nationwide protests are perceived.

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Agricultural associations and federations argue that the current mobilisation is not an isolated episode but the culmination of growing pressure in recent years. Producer representatives point to high production costs driven by rising prices for energy, fertilisers, animal feed and agricultural supplies. They also accuse the state insurer ELGA of delays in compensating farmers for flood, drought and extreme-weather damage across multiple regions.

At the same time, they underline that changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have left a significant share of small and medium-sized farmers outside key subsidies. International pressure for green reforms and shifts in cultivation practices, they argue, further increase adaptation costs. Their demands revolve around the survival of the sector itself and focus on reducing production costs, boosting competitiveness and strengthening resilience against external shocks.

Within this framework, farmers are calling for tax and social-security relief, a revision of energy and fuel pricing, faster ELGA payouts and an overhaul of the insurer’s rules to reflect new climatic realities. They also want a stable CAP framework that protects small and medium-sized farms, along with guarantee mechanisms against natural disasters. Without immediate financial support and institutional changes, they warn, the primary sector faces further contraction.

The government has responded by calling for an “inclusive dialogue” and insists that it has already taken several steps to support producers. Officials point to substantial compensation payments for natural disasters, interventions to reduce energy costs and ongoing work to modernise CAP implementation with specific attention to small holdings. At the same time, Athens stresses that large-scale horizontal measures are difficult to implement due to fiscal constraints and EU regulatory limits, attempting to balance farmers’ demands with economic realities.

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Analysts suggest that the outcome of the mobilisations will depend on how farmers escalate their actions at roadblocks, including whether they resort to tougher measures such as shutting down roads or border crossings – tactics periodically seen in the past. It will also hinge on the progress of talks with the government in the coming days and on any institutional initiatives that may be announced inside or outside the CAP framework. Another decisive factor will be the degree of social support, which currently varies by region, with some communities expressing understanding and others voicing concern about disruptions to transport and economic activity.

Government sources do not rule out a new package of measures aimed at striking a balance between farmers’ needs and the state budget. Farmers, however, warn that without concrete solutions the blockades will remain and intensify, insisting that “time is running out for the primary sector”.

The coming period will determine whether common ground can be found or whether confrontation will escalate. What is certain is that this year’s agricultural protests rank among the most significant in recent years, unfolding amid an energy crisis, climate pressures, CAP reforms and the lingering shadow of the OPEKEPE subsidies scandal – a combination that has created a particularly demanding and complex environment for Greece’s farming community.

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Caption: Tractors are lined up near the Macedonia Airport, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, 05 December 2025, while protesting farmers try to approach and block the way to the airport as part of a nationwide farmers’ mobilization. The farmers’ blockades set up at key points across Greece in protest over high production costs and delayed subsidies were steadily reinforced day by day, despite bad weather affecting many areas of the country. EPA/ACHILLEAS CHIRAS