Greek farmers rally in Athens demanding more support, cite EU policies as major hurdle
Hundreds of Greek farmers stage demonstration demanding further financial help from the government, despite administration’s claim that it is out of funds to provide such assistance
Hundreds of Greek farmers, engaged in a four-week-long dispute with the government, gathered in a striking demonstration of their dissatisfaction on Tuesday by demanding further financial help. The administration maintains that it is out of money to provide further assistance.
A demonstration by about 1,500 farmers, according to the police, was held amid the sound of horns honking and Greek flags waving. The protestors arrived in front of the parliament on Syntagma Square driving tractors, pickup trucks, and vans from all across Greece. They parked a noteworthy fleet of around 130 tractors together with dozens of other vehicles, marking a strong challenge to what they see as insufficient government action.
The action in Athens is part of a larger wave of protests that have swept around Europe; reports of road blockades have been made in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and other countries. Farmers are speaking out against what they perceive to be unjust agricultural policies and calling for reforms such as lower fuel taxes, improved product pricing, import limitations, and a loosening of EU environmental laws.
A farm organization leader on the island of Crete, Manolis Karkadatsos, emphasized the purpose of the demonstration by saying, “We are here to express our solidarity with our colleagues in Europe.” This opinion highlights farmers’ resistance to what they see as unfair and restrictive policies throughout Europe.
Given the terrible floods that struck Thessaly in September—a vital center for Greece’s agricultural industry—the timing of these demonstrations is especially poignant there. The reconstruction’s poor pace has exacerbated the farmers’ unhappiness.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis saw the rally as a tactical advantage in talks with the European Union on changing agricultural policy. Mitsotakis acknowledged the wider ramifications of the protest for EU discussions when he said on Star TV, “This is leverage for me as well, when I go to Brussels to negotiate.”
The shared agricultural policy and environmental laws of the EU, which demonstrators contend disproportionately hurt their livelihoods, are at the core of the unrest. Karkadatsos called the EU’s laws a “noose” around the necks of farmers, stating that fuel prices should be equal to those that Greek shipowners enjoy.
Despite Mitsotakis’s concessions last week, which included plans to slash farmers’ energy costs and reduce taxes on fertilizer and animal feed, farmer unions are not satisfied, claiming the measures do not go far enough to meet their demands. Building on its allocations from the previous year, the government has promised additional funding in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 euros. Nonetheless, the agricultural community is in agreement that the help is not enough to cover their rising expenses and the difficulties brought about by both national and European policy.
Source:AFP
