THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Farmers in northern Greece disrupted traffic at a border crossing on Wednesday to protest delayed payments of EU-backed subsidies linked to an investigation into a corruption scandal.
Convoys of tractors blocked routes to North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey, forcing drivers to take long detours.
Hundreds of farmers took to the streets over the weekend, blocking roads in several areas with tractors.
Farmers’ protests are common in Greece, but the latest unrest erupted over delays in subsidy payments after widespread fraudulent claims for EU funds were revealed.
The scandal prompted the resignation of five senior government officials in June and the gradual closure of the state agency responsible for handling agricultural subsidies.
Dozens of people have been arrested across Greece in recent weeks on suspicion of making false accusations in response to an investigation led by the European Prosecutor’s Office. The independent EU agency that deals with financial crime said at the end of October that the investigation was related to “systemic large-scale subsidy fraud schemes and money laundering”.
Greece’s public order minister said this week that the government remained willing to negotiate with protest leaders but would not tolerate the closure of major border crossings, including ports and rail hubs.
