site.btaProtesting Greek Farmers to Meet with Prime Minister Mitsotakis on Tuesday

Representatives of protesting Greek farmers will meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, the online edition of the newspaper Kathimerini reported.

The publication says that the talks will take place at Maximos Mansion in Athens, the official seat of the Prime Minister. Over the weekend, the nationwide committee coordinating the road blockades, expected to meet in Nikaia will determine the composition of the delegation for the meeting with the prime minister.

The farmers have agreed to meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, signalling a possible easing of the road blockades that have lasted for weeks. As a gesture of goodwill, the farmers said they would open the roads on Saturday but would leave their tractors positioned at the protest sites. Government representatives have expressed cautious optimism, Kathimerini writes.

The selection of representatives from all 57 blockades is expected to be difficult, as a balance must be maintained among the union figures leading the protests.

Local media also report that the farmers will certainly raise the issue of Greece’s position on the Mercosur agreement, which has already sparked protests in Germany and France as well.

At present, the 48-hour blockade of roads, border crossings, and other infrastructure facilities across the country remains in force, with decisions being taken on the spot by the farmers’ general assemblies.

Greek farmers began protest actions with road blockades at the end of November. The main reason for their discontent was delays in the payment of agricultural subsidies due to a corruption scandal at the payment agency OPEKEPE.