What prompted the Koutsoumpas meeting in Atalanti?
Koutsoumpas continued a regional tour of Fthiotida by holding discussions with members of the Atalanti Agricultural Association and the Fthiotida Federation of Agricultural Associations. He was accompanied by Kostas Basdekis, member of the KKE Central Committee, and Dimitris Alexopoulos, secretary of the KKE Fthiotida regional committee. Local president Christos Ligdis opened the exchange by describing recent demonstrations and roadblocks that focused on the ability of farmers to produce, remain on the land and support their families. He stated that conditions have deteriorated further and that government announcements at the Thessaloniki International Fair offered no solutions on guaranteed prices or livestock disease control. Ligdis also criticised a recent wave of legal actions against farmers, which he said aimed to discourage mobilisation. He called on all parties to oppose the criminalisation of protests. The discussion that followed covered production costs, the inadequacy of government measures against zoonoses, and wider political developments. Ligdis emphasised that farmers must be able to produce, survive and keep their families on the land, yet current policies make this harder than before.
Which production costs and policy failures were raised?
Participants highlighted the steep rise in input prices and the inadequacy of existing measures against animal diseases. They argued that current compensation rules under the ELGA agricultural insurance fund fail to cover full losses from natural disasters. Tax burdens and the absence of an effective tax-free threshold for small producers were also cited as obstacles that do not apply to shipowners or strategic investors. Koutsoumpas added that middlemen, large traders, industrial processors and banks capture most of the value, buying produce cheaply and selling it at high retail prices. He said this pattern has intensified over recent decades and reached new levels in the last few years. The discussion also covered the lack of infrastructure and the failure to update ELGA rules to provide 100 percent compensation for all damages, as demanded by the agricultural movement. Ligdis noted that recent government announcements at the Thessaloniki International Fair guarantee only that core demands such as guaranteed prices, specific livestock production measures and vaccinations will remain unaddressed. He described a growing factory of prosecutions intended to force farmers to accept the situation and stay quiet, urging all parties to take a clear stand against the criminalisation of protests. Koutsoumpas stressed that farmers work for the profit of intermediaries while bearing all the risks themselves.
What specific measures does the KKE propose?
The party has submitted an amendment in parliament to halt prosecutions of farmers involved in collective action. Koutsoumpas argued that guaranteed prices, reduced production costs and full public coverage of disaster losses must be combined with free public education, upgraded health centres and state-supported sport and culture in rural areas. Under the KKE programme, agriculture would operate alongside socialised industry and voluntary producer cooperatives. Exports would be pursued through equal partnerships rather than dependence on large traders. The state would assume direct responsibility for protection against natural disasters and epizootics. Koutsoumpas stated that all intermediaries who exploit farmers would be removed and that upgraded productive agricultural cooperatives would play a stronger role in exports based on equal international cooperation. He stressed that farmers need not only economic measures but also free public education, upgraded health centres, sport and culture, all planned scientifically and funded by the state. In a KKE-led government the agricultural sector would stand beside socialised industry belonging to society as a whole, with voluntary productive cooperatives linked to industry and national economic development serving popular needs rather than the interests of the few. The party leader underlined that this model would eliminate those who currently extract value from producers.
How does the KKE frame the wider political context?
Koutsoumpas described upcoming elections as one element in a longer struggle that also requires sustained collective action. He urged voters to strengthen the KKE so that it can maintain consistent positions without bargaining or shifting under pressure. He contrasted the party's record with what he called mutual recriminations inside both centre-right and centre-left political blocs. The leader closed by inviting continued joint mobilisation on the streets and in daily organising, presenting this as the route to improved living conditions in Lokrida, Fthiotida, Central Greece and nationally. He emphasised that workers and farmers must stand together as one voice and one fist to advance their shared interests. Koutsoumpas noted that elections alone do not solve the problems and that large struggles will still be needed, with everyone united hand in hand to open this path. He called for strengthening the KKE so it retains stable positions that cannot be bargained away, contrasting this consistency with the infighting inside both the left and right political blocs and with parties that have come and gone. The KKE, he said, fights with consistency, selflessness and honesty and stands at the forefront. The meeting therefore served both to voice immediate grievances and to link them to the party’s longer-term political proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Koutsoumpas visit Atalanti?
He met local farmers and livestock breeders to express solidarity with their demands for viable incomes and to condemn recent legal actions against protesters.
What are the main farmer demands highlighted?
Guaranteed product prices, lower production costs, full compensation for losses and an end to the prosecution of collective action.
Does the KKE support the current government measures?
No. The party argues that recent announcements fail to address core issues and that existing insurance and tax rules disadvantage small producers.
What economic model does the KKE advocate for agriculture?
Socialised industry linked to voluntary cooperatives, state planning of services and exports based on equal international partnerships.
Will elections alone solve the problems?
Koutsoumpas stated that elections form only one part of the process and that sustained struggles remain necessary.
