Greek farmers escalate after truce, blocking highways and ramping up pressure on the government

Takeaway

The farmers’ movement is entering a new phase of confrontation, turning roadblocks into a major political and social pressure point.

From holiday truce to renewed confrontation

The holiday lull is over and Greek farmers are moving back into escalation mode. Thousands of tractors remain stationed along national highways, border crossings, toll stations and key junctions, signaling that a protest now stretching close to a month is entering a more demanding phase.

A key flashpoint is the Malgara junction, where from 12:00 noon the northbound lanes toward Athens are set to close indefinitely, while traffic toward Thessaloniki will remain open. At the same time, farmers are planning blockades at the Evzones and Promachonas border crossings, along with prolonged disruptions across Central Macedonia.

Nikaia blockade as the barometer

The blockade at Nikaia, near Larissa, the largest in the country, is emerging as the main decision-making hub of the movement. Meetings there are expected to determine both the scale and coordination of further nationwide escalation.

Farmers stress that their decisions are not taken lightly but are driven by what they describe as government intransigence and empty promises. A nationwide coordination meeting scheduled for Sunday is seen as critical in deciding whether protests will expand to bypass roads, ports and additional border points.

Applying pressure without breaking public support

Despite the intensifying action, farmers are attempting to strike a balance between pressure and public tolerance. Until Sunday, they say, traffic will not be completely shut down, with partial access maintained and targeted disruptions rather than blanket closures.

A notable move is the planned opening of toll stations at Makrychori, easing the return of holiday travelers—an effort to counter accusations that the protests fuel social division or “collective punishment.”

A deeper agricultural policy deadlock

Beyond the roadblocks lies a broader political impasse. Farmers’ demands go well beyond emergency aid and touch the core of agricultural policy, including:

• soaring production and energy costs
• guaranteed minimum prices
• delayed subsidies and payments
• insurance and compensation mechanisms
• stricter controls on imports and food mislabeling

Movement leaders warn that without clear, binding commitments, talks with the government risk remaining purely symbolic.

Holidays on the asphalt, a message of endurance

Images from the holiday period carried strong symbolic weight. Farmers and livestock producers spent Christmas on the highways, gathered around fires with families and improvised celebrations, sending a message that their struggle is not temporary but existential.

Public gestures of solidarity—from passing drivers to local communities—have bolstered morale and offset government pressure, reinforcing the resolve of the blockades.

A looming political stress test

The coming days are set to be decisive. How the government responds to the escalation—and whether farmers can maintain unity, stamina and public backing—will shape the outcome of the confrontation.

What is certain is that the farmers’ movement has become a central political and social stress test, with implications extending well beyond agriculture and into the broader stability of the political landscape.

Source: pagenews.gr