Ministers urge dialogue with farmers amid protests
Dialogue is the only effective way to resolve outstanding issues facing Greece’s primary sector, Rural Development and Food Minister Kostas Tsiaras said on Friday, amid ongoing farmer mobilizations.
Speaking to Thessalian Radio Television, Tsiaras said he understood farmers’ concerns, noting his own background in an agricultural region.
He said the New Democracy government has taken measures since 2019 to support the sector, including tax cuts, lower insurance contributions, reduced VAT, lower energy costs and fuel tax reimbursements. While acknowledging farmers’ anxiety, he said some mobilizations have political links and stressed that unresolved issues should be addressed through talks. “Only dialogue leads to solutions,” he said.
Hatzidakis: Farmers received 3.82 billion euro in support in 2025
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said farmers and livestock breeders received €3.82 billion in support in 2025, the highest amount in recent years and 13% more than in 2024.
In a social media post, he said the funds came from CAP subsidies, the finance ministry and the ELGA insurance agency.
Hatzidakis acknowledged delays in some payments and said the government had worked with the European Commission to introduce a more transparent subsidy system, ensuring funds go to genuine producers. He said 16 of 27 demands raised by farmers had already been met, with solutions being examined for several others, and questioned the refusal of some protest groups to enter talks despite an invitation from the prime minister.
