The farmers’ strike is dying down: instead of protesting, they will "parade" through Athens, accompanied by police cars

The notorious “strike to the bitter end,” which the farmers themselves spoke about, declaring in every tone that they would not retreat, since now it was a matter of survival, is turning into a simplification of demands.

This is due to the fact that it was announced that farmers will arrive in Athens with their tractors for the rally on Tuesday (20/2) accompanied by police vehicles, and the authorities will have full information about the drivers and owners of the tractors that will arrive in the capital, in case , if someone dares to do something.

For the first time, a controlled demonstration or rather a parade in a controlled environment for the government to show that it too is leaving agricultural machinery in Athens.

The demands were “in vain” and this was evident from the message of Mitsotakis, who announced two measures and said that they are over and we will see this from 2025.

“Last Tuesday, I met with numerous delegations of farmers from all over Greece. We had a sober dialogue, I listened carefully to their legitimate concerns and announced two additional measures to support them – cheaper electricity for all producers within the cost of electricity production for a decade and early payment of 40 million euros in compensation to ΕΦΚ at the end of March, together with a commitment to change the compensation to a fairer one based on production volumes from 2025.”

And all this has been accepted by farmer leaders who act as if they are making a personal deal to worsen the struggle of the entire collective.

In particular, at a meeting at the Ministry of Defense, it was decided that more than 100 tractors and agricultural machines from all over the country would be freely allowed into Athens! Ministry sources said that “if there are 120-170 tractors, then there will be no problems with their passage on toll roads”and this suggests that there will be no law enforcement measures on the highways other than those provided.

Vehicles arriving in Athens will be escorted by police cars, with one vehicle for every 30 tractors to deal with any breakdowns and other problems, while the ministry intends to keep one lane open on Amalias Avenue to avoid any traffic problems citizens and tourists. At the same time, the traffic police will be tasked with operating approximately 60 buses transporting farmers from across the country.

Some of the farmers expressed their intention to arrive in Athens on Monday evening, but the Ministry of Civil Defense made it clear that in any case they should all return to the areas where they live and work by Wednesday morning. The police authorities will have full information about drivers and owners of tractors arriving in Athens.

Farmers will arrive on Monday evening and stay until Tuesday evening, after which they will gradually leave. Speaking from the blockade of Platikambos yesterday, President of the Unitary Federation of Agricultural Associations of Larissa Rizos Maroudas called on all farmers, livestock breeders and residents of Athens to take an active part in the rally on Tuesday: “We will go by tractors, buses and cars to the rally site to demonstrate the need to solve problems and satisfying our demands on the government… Tomorrow morning we will set out from Thessaly in different directions to reach Sterea, and all the tractors will meet at the blockade of the castle of Boeotia on Monday afternoon, and on Tuesday morning we will leave for Athens.”

Regarding the participation of farmers in the rally, Mr. Maroudas estimated that at the moment we can talk about 50 buses with farmers that will arrive in Athens and a three-digit number of tractors, describing how touching this fighting spirit of his colleagues is, since this is the way to Athens is not easy.

PS We must pay tribute to K. Mitsotakis, he was able to find the words and knew where to put pressure in order, on the one hand, to disunite the strikers and, on the other, to convince them, in fact, to stop the strike. However, experts say it could still flare up again.

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