site.btaGreek Farmers Refuse Talks with Government, Will Prepare List of Demands, Continue Protests

During a national meeting in Nikaia, Larissa region, protesting Greek farmers decided not to take part in dialogue with the government and the country’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday, state television ERT reported.

The farmers have decided to send a list of their demands to the prime minister and the respective ministries on Sunday.

The farmers warned that they will not suspend road blockades until the government takes a position on the issues they have raised. ERT also noted that the protesters once again declared their readiness to shut down key roads in the country.

Local media further report that the main demands of the various agricultural organizations are related to high production costs, with particular emphasis on the price of agricultural fuel and electricity for farming, as well as compensation for losses.

At a meeting of the parliamentary group of New Democracy on Friday, Prime Minister Mitsotakis once again stated the government’s readiness for dialogue with farmers and extended an invitation for them to nominate a delegation to meet with him on Monday.

The protests erupted due to delays in the payment of agricultural subsidies following a corruption scandal at the Greek agricultural payments agency OPEKEPE.