[InTime News]
Protesting farmers were on Wednesday heading to the Promachonas border crossing between Greece and Bulgaria to stage a blockade as they escalate their actions, despite a call from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis against “extreme actions.”
Farmers, livestock breeders and beekeepers from the northern Serres region bypassed a police blockade at the Lefkonas intersection on the A25 by moving through fields and were making their way toward Promachonas.
The protests are over delayed European Union subsidy payments, which have been held up amid an investigation into a corruption scandal affecting the agricultural sector. Farmers are expected to meet later on Wednesday to decide on future action.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mitsotakis said, “Extreme actions, prolonged closures of national roads, closures of customs offices, closures of airports, these are actions that do not help.”
He also highlighted that total farmer payments for 2025 will rise by more than 500 million euros compared with 2024, from 3.1 billion to 3.7 billion euros.