Greek farmers plan fresh roadblocks on Sunday in western parts of the country, while long-running blockades in the north continue to disrupt traffic, though some protest groups say they will temporarily ease restrictions to allow Christmas travel, Kathimerini reported.
Several farmers’ associations said they would lift highway blockades from Tuesday through Friday before reassessing their actions ahead of the New Year, according to the daily.
In western Greece, farmers and livestock breeders staged a brief symbolic blockade early Sunday in the town of Kalavryta, while a one-hour blockade was planned later in the day on the old Antirrio–Ioannina national road near Agrinio. The blockade on the Ionia Odos motorway at Angelokastro has entered its 16th day, although tolls on the Antirrio–Ioannina highway between Mesolongi and Antirrio were due to reopen on Sunday evening.
In Achaia, farmers have maintained a blockade for a 14th day on part of the Olympia Odos motorway near Patras, but said they would open one traffic lane in each direction on Tuesday and Wednesday to ease holiday travel. Farmers in Aigialeia remain gathered near the Selinounta bridge junction in Aigio and have not ruled out blocking the Corinth–Patras highway.
Further south, roadblocks remain in place at the Pyrgos junction and on the old Patras–Pyrgos road near Lechaina, while a new blockade was set up on Saturday on the Patras–Tripoli national road near Amaliada, Kathimerini said.
In northern Greece, farmers have reinforced a blockade at the Nea Malgara tolls west of Thessaloniki, closing the main Athens–Thessaloniki highway for a 20th consecutive day. They have also said access roads to Thessaloniki’s Makedonia airport will remain closed in the coming week, forcing travellers to use alternative routes.
In central Greece, farmers at the Nikaia blockade near Larissa voted to escalate protests, announcing they would close the Tempe tunnel to trucks from Monday, while allowing private vehicles and buses to pass.
Farmers across Greece have in recent weeks deployed tractors to block major motorways, protesting delays in compensation and subsidy payments. The delays are linked to an investigation into the agricultural payments agency OPEKEPE over alleged falsified land and livestock declarations used to obtain European Union farming subsidies, Kathimerini reported.