Greek farmers clash with police in protests

Police used tear gas and pepper spray as protesting farmers in Thessaloniki tried to break through a cordon to bring their demonstration to the city’s main airport, amid days of increasingly tense nationwide actions over delayed EU agricultural subsidy payments. Farmers, some driving tractors toward police lines, engaged in repeated clashes with riot officers as convoys of agricultural vehicles blocked national highways, border crossings and key transit routes in northern and central Greece, disrupting freight and passenger traffic.

The protests have expanded in recent days, with demonstrators warning of further blockades and strikes unless subsidies are released. Farmers say the delays — which some estimate amount to a shortfall near €600 million — threaten their ability to buy seeds, fertiliser and livestock feed ahead of the planting and breeding season, imperiling livelihoods and forcing many to describe their situation as “bankrupt.”

Authorities link the payment hold-ups to an ongoing fraud investigation that has alleged systematic falsification of land and livestock ownership to illicitly claim EU funds, sometimes with the assistance of state officials. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office earlier reported evidence of misappropriated funds, and Greek authorities have opened parallel probes. Parliament has launched an inquiry into OPEKEPE, the state agency that managed subsidy distribution, and government sources say more than 40,000 applications remain under review. The scandal has already prompted resignations of senior officials and the dissolution of the agency previously responsible for disbursements.

Government representatives say legitimate beneficiaries will receive payments once verifications conclude and have pledged to issue funds “as soon as possible,” including promising higher subsidies than last year. At the same time, officials warned against blockades of critical infrastructure, arguing such actions damage commerce and wider society. Police have made arrests during confrontations, and security forces have repeatedly used crowd-control measures to reopen roads and clear barricades.

Protesters vow to intensify actions if subsidies are not released promptly, aiming to increase pressure ahead of the planting season. With large-scale tractor formations reported near Larissa and border checkpoints with North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey affected, the unrest shows no immediate signs of abating as farmers press demands for rapid resolution and financial relief.