Greek farmers staged a sweeping nationwide protest on Monday, shutting down an airport on Crete, blocking major roads and border crossings, and clashing with police as anger mounted over severe delays in European Union aid payments and domestic support funds.
The demonstrations, which involved thousands of tractors and trucks across at least 20 locations, were among the largest farmer-led mobilizations in Greece in recent years.
Farmers say they face a €600 million ($700 million) shortfall in EU subsidies and other payments after a corruption scandal revealed that some individuals—allegedly aided by government employees—falsified land ownership records to gain access to agricultural payouts.
Ongoing audits launched in the aftermath of the scandal have frozen or slowed disbursements, leaving thousands of legitimate farmers without urgently needed support.
The funding gap has hit farmers at a time when they are battling a severe sheep pox outbreak that has led to the culling of hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats across the country.
On the island of Lesbos, farmer Prokopis Bandzis said the crisis had pushed many producers to the brink.
“We have no help, climate change has reduced production dramatically, and now this scandal means people who aren’t even farmers get huge amounts,” he said. “We want justice. Those responsible for the illegal subsidies must be held accountable.”
The most dramatic scenes unfolded on Crete, where protesting farmers forced their way onto the runway at Heraklion airport, bringing air traffic to a halt. Police responded with tear gas after demonstrators hurled stones and stormed past perimeter barriers.
At Chania airport, another group smashed the windows of police vehicles using shepherd’s crooks and stones. Police officials said those involved had been identified and would face charges.
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In northern Greece, protesters disrupted traffic at the Promachonas border crossing with Bulgaria and the Kipi crossing with Turkey. A customs official at Kipi said authorities were allowing only passenger vehicles and trucks carrying “sensitive goods” to pass through.
Roadblocks were also reported in southwestern and central Greece. Farmers in the region said they plan to block access to Volos port later this week, while hundreds of others have already obstructed the entrance to Mytilene port on Lesbos.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, under mounting criticism over the subsidy scandal and payment delays, urged farmers to stand down the blockades and said his government was prepared to negotiate.
“We acknowledge the delays,” government officials said earlier, pledging to distribute €3.7 billion ($4.3 billion) to farmers over the course of this year. But the assurances have failed to calm the protests, with farm unions arguing that immediate financial relief is needed to prevent widespread bankruptcies.