Greek farmers intensified their demonstrations on Friday as riot police deployed tear gas against protesters attempting to blockade the primary access route to Thessaloniki International Airport. The escalating unrest stems from significant delays in European Union agricultural subsidy payments that have left farmers financially strained and unable to plant next season’s crops.
Across Greece’s agricultural heartlands, thousands of tractors and farming vehicles have occupied strategic locations including border crossings, major highways, and transportation hubs. These coordinated actions have periodically halted traffic and threatened complete shutdowns of critical infrastructure. Authorities have implemented traffic diversions throughout northern and central regions to circumvent the blockades, while freight transportation at borders with Bulgaria, Turkey, and North Macedonia has already been severely disrupted.
The payment delays emerged following revelations of widespread fraudulent claims within Greece’s agricultural subsidy system. Protesters argue that the resulting administrative review process constitutes collective punishment, leaving legitimate farmers indebted and incapable of purchasing essential planting materials. This crisis compounds existing challenges for Greece’s agricultural sector, including a recent outbreak of goat and sheep pox that necessitated large-scale livestock culling.
Farmer Vasilis Mavroskas articulated the desperation felt by many: “We’re bankrupt and protesting when we should be sowing. Our inability to plant will directly impact urban food supplies—this is about survival.” Near Thessaloniki, approximately 200-300 farmers with over 100 tractors attempted to breach police cordons to completely seal airport access.
While Public Order Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis maintained the government’s openness to dialogue, he simultaneously issued warnings against the disruption of major transit points. Christos Tsilias, vice president of the Thessaloniki farmers’ union, appealed for public support to pressure authorities into releasing the frozen payments.
The current protests reflect a recurring pattern of agricultural demonstrations in Greece, though the underlying subsidy scandal has proven particularly consequential. The investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office uncovered systematic fraud and money-laundering activities, prompting the resignation of five senior government officials in June and the phased dissolution of the state agency responsible for subsidy distribution. Dozens of individuals have been arrested in connection with false claims, marking one of Greece’s most significant agricultural subsidy scandals in recent years.