site.btaHardline Protesting Farmers Vote to Meet Prime Minister, Plans for Athens Tractor Rally on Hold

Hardline protesting farmers have voted to enter dialogue with the government and meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, putting plans for Athens tractor rallies on hold, the online edition of the Kathimerini newspaper said on Wednesday.

At a nationwide assembly in Palamas, Central Greece, representatives of roadblocks that skipped Tuesday’s meeting, over claims of insufficient representation, chose to pursue talks.

A 30-member delegation formed, 25 representatives of the sector from all industries, plus five observers. The farmers' decision is that the dialogue should take place with open roads and without a tractor march to the capital, as had been previously announced, the publication recalls.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mitsotakis held talks with 25 representatives of the agricultural sector, which, however, representatives of the more radical protest groups refused to attend, insisting on broader representation.

According to local media reports, representatives of the agricultural sector are positive about the upcoming meeting, as it has been agreed that representatives of all sectors will participate – farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, beekeepers, etc.

According to state broadcaster ERT, a specific date for the talks has not yet been set. The government's conditions for dialogue remain the same, there should be no individuals convicted of crimes or involved in investigations related to the OPEKEPE payment agency, ERT reported, citing government sources.