Every day, the network of farmers’ blockades across Greece grows wider. Yesterday, farmers from Trikala set up a blockade on the E65 motorway at the Longos toll station — the second blockade on the E65, following the one in Karditsa. Together with the blockade in Larissa, more than 4,000 tractors are now on the roads in Thessaly.

Meanwhile, new blockades were set up in Kiato in the Peloponnese, at the Promachonas border crossing, and in Serres. According to the organizers of the mobilization, even more blockades will follow in the coming days. By next Sunday, all planned blockades across the country will have been deployed. It is considered certain that they will strengthen their presence next week, preparing their next steps in parallel.

The next phase of the mobilization

Next week is truly pivotal for the farmers’ protest movement. Having already blocked border posts and national roads, they will now wait to see the government’s intentions before making final decisions.

At the same time, beginning Monday, farmers from Volos — together with local fishermen — will shut down the port of Volos both from land and sea. Something similar may also occur in other ports across the country.

However, crucial decisions will be made at the nationwide blockade coordination committee, which will convene on Sunday, December 14, in Nikaia, with representatives from all blockades in Greece. There, they will assess the situation and—depending on the government’s stance—decide whether to escalate or not.

Pressure scenarios

Ideally, starting Monday, farmers expect the government to begin talks—with concrete answers regarding production costs and with a protection mechanism for product prices, similar to Italy’s request to the EU for durum wheat.

Many ideas that would signify an escalation have been discussed by the protest organizers. One likely option is closing the diversion roads. In fact, at the Larissa blockade, the phrase “Nikaia is close to Tempi” is increasingly heard—referring to the location where Greece becomes physically cut in two with no available detours. They also do not rule out protest actions inside cities, similar to the ones recently carried out by livestock farmers in Thessaly.

The stalemate

On the other hand, while neither side — government nor farmers — is taking concrete steps toward holding a meeting, both appear eager to make it happen. Both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister of Rural Development Kostas Tsiaras have publicly left the door open for dialogue, though farmers claim that “they are not actually speaking about solving the real problems.”

Farmers, too, want dialogue — but with solid commitments on production costs and the low prices of essential agricultural products, and only after the first phase of mobilizations. With the holidays approaching, time pressure may help push both sides to the negotiation table in order to find a way to end the blockades. The holiday travel season is inevitably a leverage point for both sides.