Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and farming leaders have agreed to extend negotiations into after a grueling three-hour session failed to yield an immediate end to nationwide road blockades, with hardline factions threatening to escalate their protests to the capital.
The Tuesday meeting at Maximos Mansion—the first face-to-face talks since tractors took to the highways—ended with promises of lower electricity tariffs but no clear resolution to the standoff.
While representatives from 14 protest blockades described the dialogue as "constructive," leaders from the militant Nikaia blockade boycotted the session, proposing instead a mass descent on Athens.
Mr. Mitsotakis announced a package of relief measures, pledging that Greek producers would see the "lowest electricity tariffs in the European Union" for the next decade.
He also promised accelerated compensation for livestock breeders hit by a recent sheep and goat pox outbreak.
However, the prime minister issued a stern warning to those refusing to clear the roads.
“The government has stretched the economy to support farmers more than ever before, but it has also reached the limits of its tolerance,” Mr. Mitsotakis said.“A partisan minority cannot continue to openly pressure society.
The talks covered a broad agenda, including the transfer of the payment agency OPEKEPE to the tax authority and urgent infrastructure repairs.
To address the technical specifics, a follow-up meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, led by Deputy Prime Minister and National Economy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras.
The stakes remain high as the government attempts to balance fiscal discipline with the demands of a sector battered by climate change and inflation.
By Yiorgos Yiorgolopoulos