THESSALONIKI, Greece — Greek farmers and livestock breeders dramatically intensified their protests across the country on Monday, December 8, 2025, blocking major highways, border crossings, ports, and even attempting to storm Heraklion International Airport with tractors in a powerful show of anger over months-long delays in European Union agricultural subsidy payments.
The nationwide mobilizations, now in their second week, have brought Greece to a near-standstill at dozens of critical transport nodes. Farmers are demanding the immediate release of hundreds of millions of euros in EU funds that have been frozen since early 2025 due to a major fraud investigation involving falsified claims and corrupt officials at the state payment agency OPEKEPE.
In the northern city of Trilofos near Thessaloniki, representatives from more than 20 regional agricultural and livestock associations met and formally established a national coordination committee to direct the escalating actions. The new body made clear that while dialogue with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis remains possible, it will only take place on their terms — including firm commitments and timelines for subsidy disbursements before Christmas.
Throughout the day, protesters used tractors and heavy machinery to seal off more than ten points along the vital Athens–Thessaloniki national highway, including a complete shutdown at the Nikaia junction near Larissa. Major sections of the E65 and Egnatia motorways were also blocked. Border customs posts at Evzoni, Promachonas, Exochi, and Niki — key gateways to North Macedonia and Bulgaria — were completely closed to freight and passenger traffic, creating queues stretching many kilometers.
In one of the most dramatic incidents, hundreds of farmers on Crete drove convoys of tractors straight toward Heraklion International Airport, breaking through initial police cordons and briefly reaching the runway area. Riot police eventually repelled the advance with tear gas and stun grenades after protesters hurled stones and attempted to overturn vehicles. Flights were disrupted for several hours, and the incident underscored how far the movement is willing to go.
Maritime traffic was also severely affected. The passenger ferry “Diagoras” on the Mytilene–Chios–Piraeus route was forced to depart Lesvos completely empty after protesters blocked the port, stranding 160 passengers, 25 trucks, and dozens of private cars. Farmers in Magnesia maintained round-the-clock positions and announced plans to blockade the important commercial port of Volos starting Wednesday. A new roadblock was also set up near Naoussa Railway Station in Imathia, further disrupting freight movement.
At the root of the crisis is a corruption scandal uncovered earlier this year by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which found that millions of euros in EU agricultural funds had been illegally diverted through fake land and livestock declarations. The subsequent nationwide audit has delayed legitimate payments to hundreds of thousands of farmers — many of whom rely on the subsidies to cover soaring energy, fertilizer, and feed costs. Small and medium-sized producers say they are now facing bankruptcy just weeks before the holiday season.
The government has promised that most verified payments will be made by the end of December, but farmers accuse authorities of using the fraud probe as an excuse to withhold money from honest claimants. Prime Minister Mitsotakis has urged protesters to end actions that “harm the entire Greek economy,” while insisting the state must first ensure EU anti-fraud rules are respected.
Opposition parties have seized on the crisis, accusing the New Democracy government of mismanaging both the subsidy system and its response to the protests. Meanwhile, the European Commission has expressed concern over the delays but defended the freeze as necessary to protect taxpayer funds.
As night fell across snow-dusted fields and tractor headlights illuminated blocked motorways, the newly formed farmers’ coordination committee warned that actions will only intensify in the coming days unless concrete solutions are offered immediately. With Christmas travel and vital supply chains already severely disrupted, Greece now faces the prospect of a prolonged rural uprising just when the country can least afford further instability.
For thousands of farmers keeping vigil beside their tractors in freezing temperatures, the message is simple: no money, no movement — and they appear ready to hold the line for as long as it takes.
