Greek farmers are reassessing their next steps after a high-level meeting with the prime minister failed, in their view, to deliver substantive solutions to long-standing problems facing the country’s primary production sector.
Representatives from 62 protest sites across Greece returned to their blockades on Friday, where local assemblies are being held to brief fellow farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and beekeepers on the outcome of the talks and to decide how to proceed. Several participants described the meeting as largely unproductive, saying they received few clear answers on key demands.
Disappointment After Lengthy Talks
According to representatives who attended the meeting at the prime minister’s office, discussions covered a wide range of issues, including delayed agricultural subsidies, allegations of mismanagement in the agency overseeing farm payments, lost income, low agricultural pensions, an EU trade agreement with South American countries, and the spread of animal disease affecting livestock.
Despite the breadth of the agenda, farmers said tensions emerged during the talks and that many of their concerns went unanswered. “We didn’t hear anything substantial,” several representatives said, adding that expectations for tangible outcomes were not met.
Outside the meeting venue, other members of the agricultural sector waited anxiously, hoping the talks would lead to measures allowing them to remain economically viable in rural areas. Rising production costs, they stressed, are pushing many out of farming, livestock breeding, fishing, and beekeeping.
Government Sees Progress, Farmers Do Not
The government presented a more positive assessment. The agriculture minister said both sides agreed to further examine issues related to production costs, including agricultural electricity prices and the mechanism for refunding fuel taxes, as previously announced.
He described the discussions as productive and detailed, arguing that the prime minister’s explanations helped farmers understand the limits and efforts of government support during a difficult period.
Farmers’ representatives, however, offered a starkly different view. While acknowledging that the dialogue allowed each sector to present its problems, they said the meeting produced mostly promises and vague commitments. “There were many discussions and many ‘we will see,’ but very little result,” said one local farm association leader.
Decisions Return to the Blockades
Following the meeting, farmer representatives announced they would return to their protest sites to collectively decide their next moves. Many said they never expected major concessions but were frustrated that the talks yielded little beyond assurances and limited clarifications.
Local assemblies are now expected to determine whether protests will scale back or intensify. As one representative put it, the choice is stark: either withdraw or take the struggle to the capital.
Nationwide Protest on the Table
Farm leaders are openly considering what they describe as their “last card”: a large, nationwide demonstration in central Athens. Such a rally would bring together farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and beekeepers from across the country to highlight the severity of their problems and demand immediate action.
Organizers are also discussing whether to broaden the call beyond the agricultural sector, inviting unions and social groups to turn the protest into a wider social mobilization. They argue that the crisis in primary production is not only a rural issue but one tied to food security, regional development, and the country’s broader economic and social stability.
Decisions on escalation are expected after consultations at protest sites later today.
