Farmers in northern Greece blocked major border crossings on Wednesday, December 3, defying a government warning as protests escalated over delays in European Union-backed subsidy payments.
The delays emerged after revelations of widespread fraudulent claims for EU funds, which prompted the June resignation of five senior officials and the phased shutdown of the state agency handling subsidies.
Tractor convoys disrupted routes to North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey, following earlier road blockades over the weekend.
Public order minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said the government is open to dialogue but will not tolerate closures of key transit hubs.
Dozens have been arrested nationwide for allegedly filing false claims, after an EU investigation linked the case to “a systematic large-scale subsidy fraud scheme and money-laundering activities.”
The farming sector has also been hit by goat and sheep pox, leading to a mass livestock cull.
Protest leaders vowed to expand demonstrations. “The poorer we get, the more determined we become… The money was stolen by opportunists,” said blockade committee member Kostas Tzelas, urging the state to recover the funds and return them to farmers.
Source: AP.
