A marathon and increasingly heated briefing unfolded in Athens on Wednesday as Greece’s Minister of Rural Development, Kostas Tsiaras, sought to calm members of the ruling New Democracy party in the face of a widening farmers’ revolt and growing fury over delayed agricultural payments. The meeting, held at party headquarters, followed an unusual rebellion by six government MPs who demanded explanations for widespread problems with disbursements from OPEKEPE, the state agency responsible for handling EU agricultural funds. Thirty-five lawmakers attended in person and another twenty joined online, but even the expanded format did little to contain the tension. Over four and a half hours, the discussion frequently erupted into shouting, echoing down the corridors as MPs described the political pressure they are facing from angry farmers back home.
Criticism focused both on the government’s handling of the crisis and its public communication. Serres MP Fotini Arampatzi accused the ministry of misleading parliamentarians, shouting, “You’re deceiving us.” Zetta Makri stressed that participation in the farmers’ roadblocks—now blocking highways and disrupting commerce nationwide—was unprecedented, noting that “all our own people are out there,” a reference to the large number of conservative-leaning farmers who have joined the protests. Former agriculture minister Makis Voridis questioned whether the government had any strategy at all for de-escalation, saying he saw no evidence of one.
Speaking afterward, Tsiaras acknowledged the charged atmosphere but insisted such intensity was “healthy,” arguing that emotional exchanges signaled genuine concern. Inside the meeting, he dismissed many of the demands raised by farmers and some MPs—such as guaranteed minimum prices for produce—as “maximalist” measures that could not be implemented under European rules. He also pointed out that each regional blockade has its own separate list of grievances, something he said explains why the protests lack a unified coordinating body. Without structured dialogue, he warned, the demonstrations risked becoming “entirely blind.”
Several MPs pressed him on the government’s cross-checking procedures, which have delayed or reduced payments for thousands of farmers. These audits, carried out by Greece’s independent revenue authority, were presented as mandatory safeguards for EU funds, but many MPs said the process was riddled with complications. Fannis Pappas, visibly frustrated, asked, “What is the revenue authority—gods?” Others objected to the automatic withholding of farmers’ insurance contributions, though officials insisted those deductions occurred only when farmers had previously authorized them.
Voridis reiterated his concern that the government lacked a coherent plan to calm tensions, while other MPs warned that the crisis was eroding support among farmers—traditionally one of New Democracy’s most reliable constituencies. After the meeting, Tsiaras again emphasized that progress depends on dialogue and insisted the government is committed to addressing legitimate concerns. He noted that more than 131,000 farmers had already been paid under Measure 23, an EU-backed scheme, and promised that outstanding payments would be completed by the end of the month pending ongoing audits.
The minister also stressed that the absence of unified demands on the part of the protesters makes it difficult for the government to craft a single response. Still, he insisted that supporting Greece’s agricultural sector “by every possible means” remains a priority.
Meanwhile, unrest continued to intensify on the island of Crete. Farmers and livestock breeders from Heraklion, Rethymno, and Lasithi escalated their actions by occupying two public buildings in central Heraklion: first the regional administrative headquarters and then a nearby office of the revenue security authority. Protesters said they planned to remain through the night and meet again the following day to determine their next steps—an indication that Greece’s rural mobilization is far from over.
