Greek farmers have removed tractors and other vehicles from most highways and key border crossings after more than 50 days, as protesters appeared convinced that they could not extract further concessions from the government.
The climbdown was decided late Tuesday, following two meetings in recent days between delegations representing protesting farmers and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Most of the farmers represented at the meetings had already opened up highways to traffic, while keeping some tractors parked at roadsides in readiness, as a precondition set by the center-right government for the meetings to go ahead.
Protesters are seeking higher subsidies and tax cuts, citing spiralling production costs. The government partially met their demands, saying it was limited by budgetary constraints and warning that protracted roadblocks would lead to a police crackdown on protesters.
Some farmers participating in local meetings to assess the situation on Tuesday had advocated continuing the protests, but the majority decided that, while they could not be content with the response to their demands, there was little more to be achieved at this point.
Farmers decided to keep their vehicles parked at the roadside in Malgara, central Greece, without specific plans to block the highway again. Later Wednesday, protesters from the Karditsa region of Thessaly will meet to decide on their course of action.
Related: Mitsotakis Addresses Farmer Protests, Defense, and Relations With Turkey
