“The prosecutor has said the obvious about the blockades,” Makis Voridis said, speaking to ERTnews, adding that when offences are committed, all relevant authorities must ensure that the law is enforced.

“Real farmers are facing difficulties in their daily lives,” Voridis said, stressing that the government has committed to specific payments and has already made disbursements for certain groups, such as indigenous breeders.

At the same time, he clarified that the delays were not punitive in nature, but related to procedural controls and the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. He also noted that mobilisations that lead to obstruction of public transport hamper the discussion and can lead to tensions with the police forces. “When the government says come and talk and farmers don’t show up, it makes the process of solving problems more difficult, he noted.

On the cost of production, Voridis recalled the government’s initiatives to reduce VAT on agricultural inputs, the introduction of special electricity tariffs and the allocation of agricultural oil. “These measures have significantly reduced production costs and increased the competitiveness of Greek producers, he said.

Finally, on the political level, he commented on the return of Alexis Tsipras, stressing the need for“deep programmatic and ideological self-criticism”in order to seriously reorganize the Left and reiterated that New Democracy is focused on presenting concrete policies and strategies for the country’s course.