Greek farmers block border crossing routes in escalating dispute over delayed EU subsidies
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Farmers in northern Greece disrupted traffic at border crossings on Wednesday in an escalating protest over the postponement of European Union-backed subsidy payments linked to an investigation into a corruption scandal.
Tractor convoys blocked roads to North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Türkiye, forcing drivers to take long detours.
Over the weekend, hundreds of farmers took to the streets and blocked roads with tractors in many regions.
Protests by farmers are common in Greece, but the latest unrest erupted over delays in subsidy payments after allegations of widespread fraud against EU funds emerged.
It created a scandal resignation In June, five senior government officials and a government agency dealing with agricultural subsidies were phased out.
Dozens of people have been arrested across Greece in recent weeks for allegedly making false claims, in response to an investigation by the European Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The independent EU body that deals with financial crime said in late October that the investigation was linked to “a systematic, large-scale subsidy fraud scheme and money laundering activities”.
Greece’s Minister of Public Order said this week that the government remained open to talks with protest leaders but would not tolerate the closure of key crossing points, including ports and railway hubs.
