The Union of Hoteliers of Magnesia is calling on the government to intervene immediately to restore transport flow on the main road networks that are being obstructed by the farmers roadblocks, especially ahead of Christmas. The request was submitted through a letter addressed to the relevant ministries.
The Union expresses its immense anxiety, noting that within just a few days we are counting wounds that exceed our ability to cope, due to a situation that creates a domino effect for society and all sectors.
As highlighted in the letter, the pursuit of justice should not involve blocking roads and consequently destroying other professional sectors one after another, and at this moment we are under more pressure than the government itself, which will eventually have to deal with compensating us as well.
Read the full letter:
The farmers mobilizations, as long as the prolonged roadblocks continue across Greece, on national roads and ports, are causing serious impacts and difficulties in the movement of both our customers and our employees, as well as the local community, cutting the country into pieces and paralyzing transportation.
We express our immense anxiety, as December is here and the holidays are approachingthe period that tourism businesses and workers look forward to with anticipation. Within just a few days we are counting wounds that exceed our capacity to cope, and they will increase every day. These are funds that will be missing from the local community and from our fellow professionals in the tourism sector.
If the road and port blockades in Central Greece, announced by the farmers, continue before and during Christmas, you clearly understand the devastating consequences this will have. We stand in solidarity with the heavy pressures on the primary sector, with which we work closely through producers and their products, but we will not participate in a conflict between productive sectors.
The closure of roads leads to the collapse of sectors that have already suffered from floods, storms and fires.
The pursuit of justice should not involve blocking roads and consequently destroying other professional sectors one after another, and at this moment we are under more pressure than the government, which will later have to deal with compensating us.
The escalation of the farmers movement will cause immediate damage to everyone.
It must be understood by all, and a solution must be found as quickly as possible.
We request the governments immediate intervention to find ways to avoid this extreme situation that is a domino effect for society and all sectors.
Kostas Tsiaras: The government sincerely wants dialogue
At the same time, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, in successive interviews on SKAI radio and on OPEN, emphasized that the government is genuinely willing to engage in dialogue, but responsibility is also required from the other side.
He announced the completion of the major payment under Measure 23157.5 million euros to 131,000 beneficiariesand stressed that there can be no solution unless both sides sit at the table. He also condemned extreme behaviours during the mobilizations and outlined the progress of the difficult but necessary reform of OPEKEPE.
The Minister stated that payments are being normalized, noting that last night Measure 23 was paid out. He clarified that these funds do not come from allocated CAP resources, but from a political decision by the government to allocate funds so that compensations can be given to farmers, because last year there were reduced productions. He described the current period as a transitional year and presented the hybrid payment system for grazing lands, noting that the government has decided to carry out the tough and difficult OPEKEPE reform and that we have taken on our share of responsibility. As he said, the goal is for Greek farmers to feel that OPEKEPE funds are distributed transparently and fairly to real producers.
Regarding the Excise Duty, he stressed that for the first time in Greece we have a legislated refund of the special consumption tax, unlike previous governments that sometimes refunded 50%, sometimes nothing. He reminded listeners that the Prime Minister just a few days ago announced the additional 50% refund, while acknowledging that the posting of some invoices has not been done properly and that a redefinition of how much fuel is required for each farm is necessary. On fuel at the pump, he noted that once we are technologically ready to ensure all parameters, then the issue can be put on the table.
He also reminded that farmers pay 9.2 cents per kilowatt-hour and that the Gaia program had a fixed locked price for two years. What we will try to do is extend the program, he said.
Mr. Tsiaras acknowledged that there is difficulty in the agricultural sector due to the climate crisis, the very low prices of Greek and European products, and the delays in OPEKEPE payments that have created a near-suffocating situation.
In any case, however, he condemned scenes of violence, stressing that extreme behaviors cannot be accepted in a well-governed democratic state. He explained that he respects the right to protest and demonstrate, but noted that this is where the legitimacy of those trying to highlight their problem is lost when attacks on police officers occur.
