Ferhat: “After the 18th of the month, there is no life left—Neither in villages nor in cities”

Özgür Ferhat, Member of Parliament for Rhodope from the New Left Party, delivered a strongly worded speech in the Hellenic Parliament during the debates on the 2026 State Budget, sharply criticizing the government across a wide range of issues—from the management of the Development Fund and agricultural policies to workers’ living conditions and the rising cost of living.

Ferhat stated that while the Development Fund is a crucial tool for the national economy, the government has failed to meet its fundamental requirements. He noted that projects have been excluded from planned programs and that there is no comprehensive or realistic roadmap for projects promised to be completed by August 2026.

“HOW ARE YOUNG PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO LIVE ON 880 EUROS?”

Addressing labor conditions, Ferhat stressed that long working hours—up to 13 hours a day—combined with low wages have made it nearly impossible for young people to survive.

“How is a young person earning 880 or 820 euros supposed to make it through the month, or support a family?” he asked, accusing the government of being completely detached from everyday social realities.

Ferhat argued that the bills introduced by the government serve not the needs of the people, but rather the interests of oligarchs and cartels, which, he said, clearly reveals the government’s true priorities. On inflation and price hikes, he emphasized that the government has failed to propose even a single concrete measure to address the problem.

“AFTER THE 18TH, THERE IS NO LIFE—ANYWHERE”

Claiming that government officials are out of touch with real living conditions, Ferhat challenged the relevant minister by asking, “When was the last time you went to a supermarket, a market street, or a bazaar?” He underlined that after the 18th day of the month, economic stagnation is felt clearly both in rural areas and in cities.

SHARP CRITICISM OF AGRICULTURAL POLICIES

Ferhat criticized the treatment of agriculture as a secondary issue in the budget, stating that the primary sector has been abandoned for months. He highlighted uncontrolled increases in production costs and the widespread installation of wind energy plants in mountainous areas, while farmers receive no support to reduce either production or energy costs.

He also pointed to serious delays in subsidies, premiums, and compensation payments, including compensation for natural disasters. Ferhat noted that the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is even lower than last year’s actual expenditures. Farmers, he said, are not adequately informed about agricultural policies, while producers excluded from the banking system are being forced to survive through mounting debt.

CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AT OPEKEPE

Ferhat added that this situation has been compounded by what he described as an “outrageous-scale” corruption scandal at OPEKEPE (the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid). He characterized the ongoing investigation as a “parody that mocks the public.”

SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RHODOPE

In the final part of his speech, Ferhat focused on issues specific to Rhodope Prefecture, stating that the region has been completely neglected. He noted that farmers have been protesting for nearly 15 days due to unpaid entitlements, yet authorities have provided no information.

Ferhat said that tobacco producers have been deprived of support and compensation, leading two-thirds of producers to abandon tobacco farming. Despite meeting the criteria, they have also been excluded from Measure 23 support. He further recalled that while certain regions and products receive special aid, cotton subsidies in Rodopi were reduced from 30 euros to 22 euros.

“SOCIETY MUST RID ITSELF OF THIS GOVERNMENT”

Concluding with a strong political message, Ferhat declared:
“Society must rid itself of this government and finally be able to breathe freely.”

Stating that they rejected the 2026 State Budget for these reasons, Ferhat emphasized that there is no room for complacency in politics or society, adding:

“We must mobilize all our forces to send this government away as soon as possible and allow society and the country to breathe again.”