Greece: riots during farmers' protests
Greek farmers are protesting against high production costs and outstanding subsidy payments. The protests, which turned violent on Monday, are also connected to the OPEKEPE corruption scandal involving EU agricultural subsidies fraud. The press examines the dire state of the agricultural sector and seeks to identify those responsible.
Athens ignoring justified demands
News website In is critical of the government:
“Most of the demands are clearly justified: immediate payment of all due subsidies and compensation, guaranteed minimum prices that cover actual production costs, tax-free diesel to reduce production costs and a cap on electricity prices, as well as a revision of the compensation scheme. ... However, the government has essentially only committed itself to 'normalising' the flow of payments after the long delays. It has remained silent about the fact that it is to blame for those delays, especially since our country came under the scrutiny of the European Public Prosecutor's Office as a result of the OPEKEPE scandal.”
A country's failure
Liberal sees the current state of the agricultural sector in a wider context:
“The country has not produced anything for many years. Not even garlic! We actually import cucumbers. The government is primarily responsible for this - it has been 'content' to administer millions of euros in EU funds while failing to develop policies for rural areas and the agricultural sector. ... Economic bankruptcy doesn't just happen. The bankruptcy of the institutions and a collapse of values paved the way for it. Rural areas deserve a better future, as does the country as a whole. We just have to make it happen. This is not something that a European public prosecutor can force on us. ”