Greece

Greek farmers threaten with escalation

To Protest against the planned pension reform block farmers in Hellas for weeks with their tractors on major roads and border crossings. Now threaten them with a Blockade in the Athens government district.

Travelers in the direction of the Peloponnese, it is currently not easy: For the past 18 days block farmers with their tractors on the highway bridge at the Corinth canal and to force all motorists to detours on deserted country roads. Only ambulance services and Pregnant women let you through. Even fully Laden trucks need to be in Corinth to repent of, or on the road to your destination drive. Also in the Tempi valley, close to the second largest Greek city of Thessaloniki, is the four-lane highway starting on Tuesday of tractors locked. The protests should continue until the linksgeführte government of Alexis Tsipras with the demands of the farmers to face: a reversal of the announced pension reform, the regulation unbedienter loans, the abolition of a newly introduced tax on the Volksgetränke wine and Tsipouro (a kind of Greek Grappa), tax-free Diesel to farmers, as well as a tax free allowance of € 12,000 in the year.

For international sensation, not least, the Blockade of the Greek-Bulgarian border at several Places. On Friday last, formed according to eyewitnesses, on the Greek side of the border, up to 25 kilometres long Lastwagenstaus. Bulgarian freight forwarders complain about losses in the millions. On Tuesday, it came early in the morning to an unprecedented incident, when several truck drivers from Bulgaria summarily tried, the Blockade on the Greek side, to use force to break through. “With the breakneck speed of five truck drivers by the crowd of dangers, you have the barrier broken, and that would be our colleagues almost fatally wounded,” complains a farmer in the TV station Skai. Four truck drivers was the trip to Bulgaria also actually succeeded. Another driver had been stopped after border guard with armed force threatened would have it, reported eye-witnesses. The police confirmed the incident, said, however, is not the alleged threat of gun violence.

Blocked road on the way to the border crossing of Ormenio

The Power of the Bauernlobby

In the former agricultural land Greece agriculture contributes 4.5 percent to the gross domestic product. That is not very much but significantly more than the EU average of 2.9 per cent. Traditionally, the Bauernlobby strong. Again and again complained Regierungssprecherin Olga Gerovassili an alleged “Destabilisierungsplan”, to which-not least conservative Berufsgewerkschaftler were involved – probably an indication that farmers in Greece, as loyal voters of the opposition party Nea Dimokratia apply. But business analyst Panagiotis Bousbourellis sees it differently: It may in fact be the one or the other type, the from the Bauernprotesten political capital out of wool, but the main reason for the uprising of the peasants is not their strong lobbying, but the devastating consequences of the forthcoming pension reform: “In the year 2015, farmers have a bit over 400 million euros to the pension funds dissipated, now this sum is tripled. This does not work, especially since today is already 600,000 people no longer are able to, their social security contributions to pay,” says Bousbourellis in an interview with DW.

It should also be the number of punctually paying the Insured since the introduction of capital controls in June 2015 to one third of the fallen, the Analyst to consider. However, set the linksgeführte government is steadfastly committed to a maximum increase of social contributions to pension cuts completely avoid and servants of the state to conserve. “This invoice can not rise”, he admonishes.

Tractors in Athens centre are not allowed

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Meanwhile, put the peasants, their protests continued: on Friday you will have a mass meeting in the city centre of Athens will be announced. Whether you are with their tractors in front of the Parliament ancestors, it is still not clear – especially since not all the farmers ‘ associations about the meaning of this Großkundgebung agree. Farmers from Northern Greece want to prefer their blocks at toll booths and border crossings at the weekend to continue, your colleagues from southern and Western Greece have on the other hand, the way to Athens, Greece to be decided.

Regierungssprecherin Gerovassili is announced, tractors are in the city center not allowed and the police would be the appropriate arrangements in good time to meet. Details are probably at the last Minute known. In Greece it is already rather unusual, that public meetings long in advance and submitted for approval. “I have a bad feeling,” says business analyst Panagiotis Bousbourellis. “I think that on Friday no tractors ancestors. And yet I’m still Worried about whether and how the government and the police on the explosive Protest reacts.”