With a sharp statement on the farming issue, former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras accuses the government of treating farmers “in terms of communication” rather than substance, at a time when –as he emphasizes– productive Greece faces a critical juncture.
Mr. Samaras emphasizes that farmers are not only protesting the delays and “incredible scandals,” but mainly their uncertain future and their children’s future. At the same time, he denounces how people in the primary sector face both the “bureaucracy of the supposed operational state” and Brussels restrictions – something that, as he notes, explains the massive farmer mobilizations sweeping many European countries.
The former Prime Minister further accuses the government of not only failing to resist, but “making things worse,” resulting in turning social groups against each other, a choice that –as he warns– will ultimately be paid by society as a whole with “new waves of inflation.”
“No farmers, no country!”, emphasizes Antonis Samaras emphatically, noting that rural depopulation makes Greece even more vulnerable. In closing, he calls for radical redesign of agricultural production: “We need restructuring of our production. Not… extinction of our producers!”
Full statement by Antonis Samaras on farmers
“The government must finally understand that not everything is communication. Society exists too. Farmers are not only protesting delays and incredible scandals. They are mainly protesting the uncertain future of their production. That is, the future of their children. Who see facing them both the unbearable bureaucracy of our own supposed operational state, and Brussels! That’s why the unprecedented farmer mobilizations are sweeping many European countries. The government should have resisted. Not made things worse. And turned one social group against another.
The entire Greek people will pay for this wrong policy! Among other things, with new waves of inflation…
No farmers, no country! With the countryside deserted, all of Greece will become even more vulnerable.
We need restructuring of our production. Not… extinction of our producers!”
