Milan-Cortina: Flame finds farmers in revolt in Thessaloniki
From Naoussa, where it rested for the night, the Fiamma returned yesterday to the Giannitsa valley, in the heart of a region with a strong agricultural vocation. And it was there that the convoy of the Fiamma found the protest of Greek farmers
SALONICCO_ From Naoussa, where it rested for the night, the Fiamma returned yesterday to the Giannitsa valley, in the heart of a region with a strong agricultural vocation. And it was there that the Fiamma convoy almost touched off a protest by Greek farmers protesting against delays in the allocation of agricultural subsidies and high fuel costs. A protest that began on Sunday with even violent clashes with police forces when farmers tried to block the A1 main road from north to south of the country with tractors.
To limit the inconvenience, the police have ordered traffic diversions on several adjacent roads and the organisers of the Greek journey of the Fiamma are considering alternative options to the initial programme because after Thessaloniki where the Fiamma arrived last night, today's stage to Elasdona, near Mount Olympus, is at risk due to the protracted protests of farmers. Yesterday a meeting between the Greek government and trade unions would not resolve the issue.
It all stems from the vast scandal surrounding Opekepe, the Greek agency in charge of distributing Common Agricultural Policy funds.
Last spring, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (Eppo) announced that it was investigating numerous cases of Greek citizens who allegedly obtained subsidies by declaring agricultural activities and pastures that in reality did not exist. Since then, the conservative government of Mitsotakis, accused by the oppositions of covering up the scandal, decided to dismantle Opekepe and launch a parliamentary investigation.
Farmers from different regions of Greece are also protesting against soaring production costs and said they will maintain the blockades until the government offers concrete solutions to their problems. On Sunday near Nikaia, in the outlying unit of Larissa, police used tear gas against farmers attempting to break through a cordon. Three people were arrested and several were injured. On the occasion of the protests, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis yesterday announced new measures to support farmers: December 'will be a month of substantial support for the agricultural sector', with a 'second allocation' of subsidies planned for 'honest farmers who will receive higher payments than in previous years', Mitsotakis wrote on Facebook.
