SYRIZA-PS leader Sokratis Famellos meets farmers and livestock breeders in Dedeağaç
During his visit to Dedeağaç for the Annual KEDE Conference, SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance (SYRIZA-PS) president Sokratis Famellos met with local farmers and livestock breeders to discuss the severe challenges facing the agricultural sector in the Meriç region.
Famellos sharply criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accusing the government of hiding from farmers and failing to address the crises caused by its own policies — including problems with subsidies and OPEKEPE payments, the outbreak of sheep and goat pox, and the ongoing drought due to the collapse of Greek–Bulgarian cooperation on water management.
He warned that these issues have led to the collapse of rural incomes and the wider local economy, as many families and small businesses depend on agriculture:
“They still owe farmers the 2024 subsidy payments, and there are serious delays with the 2025 advance. The entire local economy — suppliers, stores, vets, agronomists — is collapsing because of the OPEKEPE scandal,” he said.
Famellos also condemned the closure of Hellenic Post (ELTA) branches in rural areas, describing it as another blow to an already struggling countryside.
“Mr. Mitsotakis’s slogan for Meriç used to be ‘Meriç after,’ but now it’s ‘Meriç closed.’ Photos by the fence don’t help when people behind it can’t survive his policies,” he concluded.
He reaffirmed SYRIZA-PS’s commitment to supporting the fair demands of farmers and livestock breeders and to continuing the struggle for a progressive Greece.
