By Vasiliki Mitsiniotou

ATHENS

Huge lines of vehicles have formed on both sides of the Greek-Bulgarian border due to the ongoing farmers’ protest in Greece.

According to the police, about 800 trucks and 160 cars remain trapped on the Greek side while there are around 1,000 immobilized trucks and 500 cars on the Bulgarian side of the border.

The Greek farmers who want the government to back down on pension and tax reforms blocked two border crossings with agricultural vehicles and equipment at 11 p.m. (2100GMT) on Monday.

Roadblocks not only have been continuing but also increasing in duration, also causing traffic problems at Greece’s borders with Albania and Macedonia.

The situation has remained calm is calm, police said. A few days ago, four truckers with Bulgarian plates raced to the border smashing the protective bars resulting in tension between farmers, truck drivers as well as a police arrest.

Bulgaria has reportedly asked the European Union (EU) to help lift the blockade of the Greek-Bulgarian border by Greek farmers.

“Everyone is free to protest, but this should not in any way encroaching on the right of free movement of people and goods within the EU”, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva said on Tuesday in Brussels, according to the Athenian-Macedonian Agency.

Austerity policies promoted by leftist Syriza for the past six months have been unpopular. The government has been trying to implement policies from bailout agreement signed in July in order to push for debt relief in the near future.

But the latest tax and pension reform, which includes increases in social security taxes, has visibly pushed many to protest.

According to the draft pension reform, the vast majority of insured farmers will see their annual social security taxes gradually increase from 946 euros to 1,544 euros in 2019.

Farmers have taken to the streets and have organized three major roadblocks across Greece and at the customs office at the roadblock organized since Jan. 15 at the Greek border with Bulgaria, there are more than 1,300 tractors and agricultural vehicles.