Greek Farmers Block Borders, Highways Over Subsidy Delays

Greek farmers escalated their protests on Wednesday by blocking key border crossings and major highways, defying government warnings amid ongoing delays in European Union subsidy payments tied to a corruption scandal. In northern Greece, convoys of tractors halted traffic on routes leading to North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey, while in central regions, demonstrators closed sections of the Athens-Thessaloniki motorway near Nikaia and Larissa, forcing drivers into lengthy detours and suspending freight truck movement at the Kipi crossing with Turkey for a second day.

The unrest stems from revelations of widespread fraudulent claims for EU agricultural funds, which have stalled legitimate subsidy distributions. The scandal, uncovered earlier this year, involved systematic large-scale fraud and money-laundering schemes, according to an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office. In response, Greek authorities arrested dozens of individuals across the country for filing false claims, and the probe led to the resignation of five senior government officials in June. A state agency responsible for handling agricultural subsidies, which distributes about 2.5 billion...