Greek farmers vow to step up protests
Farmers participate in an agricultural rally in Thessaloniki, as part of mobilizations due to the Agrotica exhibition, Thessaloniki.
Photo: AAP via EPA/ACHILLEAS CHIRAS
Agence France-Presse
16 February 2024
Greek farmers on Thursday vowed to continue blocking roads with tractors and to intensify their protests by converging on Athens next week.
The move comes just two days after conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the Federation of Agricultural Associations in a bid to ease tensions.
Greek farmers began protesting two weeks ago, joining a continent-wide movement that has seen tractors deployed to block roads or slow traffic in France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Spain, among other countries.
“We have no other choice but to continue our struggle,” said Nikos Maroudas, president of the agricultural federation, in quotes carried by local media following a meeting in the city of Larissa in central Greece.
That is the capital of the Thessaly region that was last year hit hard by flooding and forest fires.
Following the meeting earlier this week, Mitsotakis had said he was “open to discussion” but warned that there were “limited fiscal margins” for concessions to the farmers.
The government has offered to lower energy bills for farmers over the next 10 years, as well as to cut VAT on fertilisers and animal feed from 13 percent to six percent.
Mitsotakis also promised to deliver financial aid to those affected by natural disasters by the end of the month.
Having paid farmers between 2,000 euros ($2,150) and 4,000 euros last year, the government has promised more aid worth between 5,000 euros and 10,000 euros this year.
But that did not appease the farmers, with the agricultural federation on Wednesday saying it was “not satisfied with the extra measures announced by the government”.
Source: AFP
Agence France-Presse
16 February 2024
Greek farmers on Thursday vowed to continue blocking roads with tractors and to intensify their protests by converging on Athens next week.
The move comes just two days after conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the Federation of Agricultural Associations in a bid to ease tensions.
Greek farmers began protesting two weeks ago, joining a continent-wide movement that has seen tractors deployed to block roads or slow traffic in France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Spain, among other countries.
“We have no other choice but to continue our struggle,” said Nikos Maroudas, president of the agricultural federation, in quotes carried by local media following a meeting in the city of Larissa in central Greece.
That is the capital of the Thessaly region that was last year hit hard by flooding and forest fires.
Following the meeting earlier this week, Mitsotakis had said he was “open to discussion” but warned that there were “limited fiscal margins” for concessions to the farmers.
The government has offered to lower energy bills for farmers over the next 10 years, as well as to cut VAT on fertilisers and animal feed from 13 percent to six percent.
Mitsotakis also promised to deliver financial aid to those affected by natural disasters by the end of the month.
Having paid farmers between 2,000 euros ($2,150) and 4,000 euros last year, the government has promised more aid worth between 5,000 euros and 10,000 euros this year.
But that did not appease the farmers, with the agricultural federation on Wednesday saying it was “not satisfied with the extra measures announced by the government”.
Source: AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment