Greek Farmers Shut Down Major Roads as Protests Intensify Over Costs and EU Trade Deal

By Edidiong Anii-Bassey

Farmers across Greece intensified their protests on Thursday, escalating their campaign with a coordinated 48-hour blockade of major highways, junctions and toll stations in response to soaring production costs and opposition to a proposed European Union trade agreement with South American nations. The action marked one of the most disruptive phases of demonstrations that have been building for months, underscoring growing tensions between the agricultural sector and the government.

Long lines of tractors were positioned along critical transport routes nationwide, bringing traffic to a standstill except for emergency vehicles. Police officers were deployed to manage the situation, diverting vehicles to secondary roads where possible, but largely refrained from intervening to dismantle the blockades. Despite the restrained response, the conservative government reiterated warnings that it would not allow prolonged shutdowns of essential infrastructure.

One of the most significant disruptions occurred on the country’s main north–south artery linking Athens with Thessaloniki, which was closed in both directions at several locations. Farmers said the action was intended to force the government to provide stronger financial support and to take a firm stance against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which they fear would undermine domestic agriculture.

At a roadblock in southern Greece, Yiannis Baritas, a cabbage farmer and father of five, said producers had reached their limits. He described a sense of desperation among farming families struggling to survive amid mounting expenses. Baritas said the protests would continue for as long as necessary to secure a future for their livelihoods.

The demonstrations began in November, initially driven by a sharp rise in production costs that farmers say has made their operations unsustainable. The situation has been compounded by a series of setbacks, including a subsidy fraud scandal that delayed legitimate payments to farmers and an outbreak of sheep and goat pox that further strained rural incomes.

In an effort to defuse the latest escalation, the government announced a set of concessions late Wednesday, including reduced electricity rates for farmers and rebates on fuel taxes. While these measures were welcomed by some, protest organizers said they fell short of addressing the deeper structural challenges facing the sector.

A central grievance remains the proposed EU-Mercosur agreement, which would establish a vast free-trade zone between Europe and South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina. Farmers across Europe have expressed concern that the deal would open markets to cheaper agricultural imports, undercutting local producers. Similar protests were reported in other EU countries, including France, reflecting the widespread unease within the farming community.

Outside the southern city of Halkida, protest organizer Vangelis Roubis warned that the agreement could have devastating consequences for Greek agriculture. He argued that Greece’s economy relies heavily on farming and tourism, lacking the industrial base of larger European economies, and therefore cannot absorb the impact of significantly cheaper imports.

Roubis highlighted stark cost differences to illustrate the challenge, noting that Greek potato farmers require between 35 and 40 cents per kilogram to break even, compared with roughly 10 cents in Brazil. With production costs in Greece estimated to be several times higher than in parts of Latin America, he said domestic farmers would be unable to compete if the agreement is implemented.

He added that protesters want Greece to align with other EU countries opposing the deal, insisting that protecting local agriculture is essential not only for farmers’ survival but also for the country’s broader economic and social stability.