A nationwide assembly of representatives of protesting farm producers is set for Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Malgara roadblock located at the same-name toll station southwest of Thessaloniki.

It’s there that farmers’ and stockbreeders’ representatives are expected to end mobilizations around the country after 36 days or to continue.

Producers are demanding greater subsidies for electricity and diesel fuel, in order to off-set rising production costs, as well as higher subsidies for crops, among others.

For the government, next Tuesday looms as a milestone: after the Epiphany holiday on the same day. A deadline has unofficially been set for moves to ease the crisis, and in essence, a countdown begins for a hardening of the government’s stance – possibly leading to sanctions and a “collision course” with agricultural unions.

At present, the center-right Mitsotakis government is trying to “walk a fine line”: on the one hand, to avoid a complete breakdown in its relations with the agricultural community, and on the other, to show that it is responding to the concerns of those affected by the protests.

Most protesting farmers have promised to spend New Year’s Eve and the first day of the year at the highway intersections, although roadways have mostly opened for holiday travelers.