As farmers prepare to escalate their mobilizations in the coming days, Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated yesterday the government’s commitment to listening to their demands and seeking solutions, even within tight fiscal constraints.
“We are considering all options,” Mitsotakis told reporters yesterday, departing from the book presentation of Dimitris Tsiodras, the director of the Maximou Palace Press Office, when asked if he would rule out participating in roadblocks in the coming days, as he did last week in Vonitsa.
Mitsotakis’ ambiguous statement demonstrates the government’s willingness to engage in dialogue without appearing unwilling, while also maintaining a wait-and-see approach in anticipation of the farmers’ decisions.
Additionally, government officials note that there is currently no single interlocutor for the government, only representatives of various blockades across the country with different demands. Should this change, possibly with the establishment of a coordinating committee for the blockades, the government will reconsider its position.
However, government officials stress that budgetary resources are limited, and there is practically no additional funding available.
Any potential concessions would involve technical adjustments on top of existing government announcements; for example, some farmers are requesting that VAT refunds be provided upfront rather than retroactively, similar to the fuel subsidy pass. Nonetheless, as Minister of Rural Development Lefteris Avgenakis stated yesterday at a gathering at the Concert Hall, this primarily falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, which manages the fund.
Political Balance
By addressing this issue again, which places the government in a defensive position, Kyriakos Mitsotakis aims to maintain open lines of communication with the rural community, a significant voter base in the Southwest.
In the recent June elections, the Southwest secured over 42% of the rural vote, with particularly high rates in the prefectures of Thessaly, surpassing or aligning with the national average.
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“This government has successfully retained the same resources from the Common Agricultural Policy in our country, while other countries faced reductions.
I personally negotiated this,” Mitsotakis emphasized yesterday, referencing Mr. Tsiodras’s book “European Consolidation,” which addresses one of the central concerns of farmers.
“The green transition is essential, but particularly in the primary sector, it must be approached with caution and moderation,” the Prime Minister added.
It remains to be seen whether the government’s dialogue with farmers will continue and in what form it will proceed.
