Greek farmers take part with their tractors in a protest outside the parliament in Athens, Greece, Feb. 13, 2026. Farmers from across Greece gathered in the capital Athens on Friday for a nationwide rally, driving tractors and agricultural machinery into Syntagma Square. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) - Farmers from across Greece gathered in the capital Athens on Friday for a nationwide rally, driving tractors and agricultural machinery into Syntagma Square.
According to the Greek national broadcaster ERT, around 70 tractors and farm vehicles arrived at the square shortly before 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) and parked in front of the parliament building. Organizers said participants planned to remain at the square overnight and depart in an orderly manner the following day.
Farmers' representatives said protesters, following earlier highway blockades, have now shifted their focus to urban gatherings. They called on the government to adopt measures to reduce agricultural production costs, compensate for lost income, and introduce targeted support policies to address the impact of sheep pox on livestock farming.
Police implemented temporary traffic control measures in downtown Athens due to the event.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Food said that a corrections platform has been opened to address issues related to subsidy payments, with follow-up measures to be put forward by the end of the month. The government also plans to introduce a legislative arrangement to refund the Special Consumption Tax on diesel at the pump, and to hold consultations on recalculating fuel allocations per crop. ■
Greek farmers take part with their tractors in a protest outside the parliament in Athens, Greece, Feb. 13, 2026. Farmers from across Greece gathered in the capital Athens on Friday for a nationwide rally, driving tractors and agricultural machinery into Syntagma Square. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)