The Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, addressed the developments surrounding the agricultural blockades, emphasizing that the government has shown unprecedented tolerance towards the mobilizations, which have been ongoing for approximately 40 days.
As he characteristically noted, the prolonged blockades have serious consequences for the country’s economy, raising the question of responsibility for closing customs offices for many days. “Who takes responsibility for closing customs offices, resulting in thousands of trucks carrying tens or even hundreds of thousands of tons of products being immobilized and causing damages of millions of euros? Who will pay this cost?” the minister stated.
“The prolonged blockades have serious economic costs, with closed customs offices and thousands of trucks immobilized, a fact that, as he said, causes damages of millions of euros to the economy,” Mr. Chrysochoidis said on SKAI 100.3 radio.
The Minister also spoke about vehicle traffic on the national road network, where he emphasized that so far the Authorities have secured bypass routes, so that “the passage of cars and trucks never stops” and no dead ends or blockades are created that cut the country at certain points.
Chrysochoidis: “For 40 days it has been chosen to give time to a small social group to exercise their rights”
Regarding the Police’s stance towards the mobilizations, he emphasized that the approach is calm and tolerant, noting that for 40 days it has been chosen to give time to a small social group, as he characterized the farmers, to exercise their rights.
At the same time, the minister pointed out that in Democracy, demanding claims is an absolutely legal and constitutional right, however afterwards, as he said, there must be compromise and exit from the crisis, something that – according to him – is not apparent so far.
Referring to the fatal traffic accident that occurred in the morning on a bypass road between Thebes and Livadeia, the minister stated that traffic has been diverted to provincial roads due to blockades, a fact that, as he mentioned, contributed to a collision between a truck and a passenger car, resulting in the death of one person.
Mr. Chrysochoidis argued that “the abuse of the right to assembly cannot continue” in a way that, as he said, deeply affects the rest of society, raising issues of responsibility for the consequences of the blockades.
