A nationwide convoy of tractors has converged on central Athens this Friday afternoon, marking a dramatic escalation in months of farmers’ unrest. Following a directive from the National Committee of Roadblocks, dozens of agricultural vehicles will park in front of the Hellenic Parliament at Syntagma Square for a 24-hour demonstration.
How Greek farmers plan the siege on Athens
Protesters plan to camp overnight in their vehicles, maintaining a presence in the capital until midday Saturday. In a show of unified dissent, major labor unions—already protesting a controversial bill on collective labor agreements—have announced they will remain at Syntagma to support the farmers’ cause.
Hellenic Police have implemented emergency traffic diversions across Attica. Severe congestion is anticipated along the Athens-Corinth and Athens-Lamia national highways as the slow-moving convoys enter the capital.
Major arteries, including Athinon Avenue, Stadiou, and Vasilissis Sofias, will remain largely inaccessible to private vehicles through Saturday morning.
The 2025-26 farmers’ strike
The winter of 2025-26 has been defined by a “perfect storm” of economic and environmental factors that pushed Greek farmers to block national highways for weeks.
1. The production cost crisis
Unlike previous years, the 2025-26 strikes are driven by a sharp rise in non-subsidized production costs. Farmers report that the cost of agricultural diesel, fertilizers, and electricity has outpaced the prices they receive at the “farm gate.” They are demanding:
- Tax-free agricultural diesel.
- A ceiling on the price of agricultural electricity (demanding a rate of €0.07/kWh).
2. The floods aftermath
Following the devastating floods of previous seasons and the erratic weather patterns of late 2025, many regions (particularly Thessaly) saw total crop failure. Farmers argue that ELGA (the state insurance organization) is outdated. They are protesting:
- Incomplete compensations: Delays in payouts for 2024-25 losses.
- The “Private Insurance” Threat: Opposition to government plans to introduce private insurance into the agricultural sector, which farmers fear will increase their overhead.
3. The political standoff
Throughout December 2025 and January 2026, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with committee representatives, offering a package of “targeted relief.” However, the farmers rejected these measures as “crumbs,” leading to the decision to “take the tractors to Athens”—the ultimate move in the Greek protest repertoire.
