Latest news with #KyriakosMitsotakis
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
5 Greek Government Officials Resign Over EU Farming Subsidy Fraud Allegations
Five high-ranking Greek government officials, including a minister and three deputy ministers, resigned Friday following allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union farming subsidies. The case stems from the alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies for agriculture between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency known by its Greek acronym OPEKEPE, tasked with handling the funds. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, a significant number of individuals received subsidies through the agency based on false declarations, including claims of owning or leasing pastures that were in fact public land. The suspects continued submitting false declarations of livestock until 2024, maintaining subsidy payment entitlement, it added. The prosecutor's office sent a hefty case file to Greece's parliament earlier this week, including allegations of the possible involvement of government ministers in an organized fraud scheme. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote. In a resignation letter to the prime minister Friday, Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis maintained his innocence, saying he was stepping down in order to concentrate on clearing his name. Voridis served as agriculture minister from mid-2019 to early 2021. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepted his resignation as well as those of the deputy ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture and food, and digital governance and of the general secretary of agriculture and food. Replacements for all five will be named in the coming days, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement. The European Commission announced earlier this month it would reduce the amount of farm subsidies for Greece by five percent, for a total of 392 million euros.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
5 Greek government officials resign over EU farming subsidy fraud allegations
Five high-ranking Greek government officials, including a minister and three deputy ministers, resigned Friday following allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union farming subsidies. The case stems from the alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies for agriculture between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency, known by its Greek acronym OPEKEPE, tasked with handling the funds. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, a 'significant number of individuals' received subsidies through the agency based on false declarations, including claims of owning or leasing pastures that were in fact public land. The suspects continued submitting false declarations of livestock until 2024, maintaining subsidy payment entitlement, it added. The prosecutor's office sent a hefty case file to Greece's parliament earlier this week including allegations of the possible involvement of government ministers in an organized fraud scheme. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote. In a resignation letter to the prime minister Friday, Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis maintained his innocence, saying he was stepping down in order to concentrate on clearing his name. Voridis served as agriculture minister from mid-2019 to early 2021. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepted his resignation, as well as those of the deputy ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture and food, and digital governance, and of the general secretary of agriculture and food. Replacements for all five will be named 'in the coming days,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement. The European Commission announced earlier this month it would reduce the amount of farm subsidies for Greece by 5%, for a total of 392 million euros.
TimesLIVE
13 hours ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Greece seeks cooperation with Libya to stop migration, says PM
Libya should cooperate with Greece and Europe to help halt a surge in migration flows from the north African state, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday. Seaborne arrivals of migrants in Europe from the north of Africa, including war-torn Sudan, and the Middle East have spiked in recent months. Greece said on Monday it would deploy two frigates and one more vessel off Libya's territorial waters to deter migrants from reaching its southern islands of Crete and Gavdos. "I will inform my colleagues about the significant increase in the number of people from eastern Libya and ask for the support of the European Commission so that the issue can be addressed immediately," Mitsotakis said ahead of an EU summit in Brussels that began on Thursday.
Libya Review
a day ago
- Business
- Libya Review
European Council Warns Against Unilateral Maritime Agreements in Libya
Libya's maritime agreement with Turkey continues to draw sharp criticism from the European Union, as a draft version of the European Council's latest conclusions labels the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries as incompatible with international law. According to the draft text, the Council reaffirms that the Libya-Turkey memorandum 'violates the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea, and cannot have legal consequences for third states.' This language reflects the EU's enduring stance that the maritime deal, which aims to define exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean, infringes on the rights of neighboring countries, particularly Greece and Cyprus. Beyond the legal dispute, the draft also highlights broader concerns over the ongoing instability in Libya. The European Council links the country's fragile political and security landscape to wider regional implications, including irregular migration flows and threats to European security. The draft further reiterates the EU's support for Libya's sovereignty and unity. It calls for continued backing of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and urges progress toward a comprehensive political solution based on national ownership, inclusivity, and consensus. The European Council's discussion comes as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis participates in high-level meetings in Brussels, following a NATO gathering in The Hague. Alongside Libya, other key topics on the EU agenda include the situation in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, migration policy, and internal European security. The agreement, first signed in 2019, delineates maritime boundaries and has been seen as part of broader Turkish interests in energy exploration. Tags: euGreecelibyaMaritime DealTurkey
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greece seeks cooperation with Libya to stop migration, PM says
(Reuters) -Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday that Libya should cooperate with Greece and Europe to help halt a surge in migration flows from the north African state. Seaborne arrivals of migrants in Europe from the north of Africa, including war-torn Sudan, and the Middle East have spiked in recent months. Greece said on Monday it would deploy two frigates and one more vessel off Libya's territorial waters to deter migrants from reaching its southern islands of Crete and Gavdos. "I will inform my colleagues about the significant increase in the number of people from eastern Libya and ask for the support of the European Commission so that the issue can be addressed immediately," Mitsotakis said ahead of an European Union summit in Brussels that began on Thursday. Mitsotakis said authorities in Libya should cooperate with Greece to stop migrants sailing from there or turn them back before they exit Libyan territorial waters. He added that the EU's migration commissioner and ministers from Italy, Greece and Malta would travel to Libya early in July to discuss the issue. Law and order has been weak in Libya since a 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with the country divided by factional conflict into eastern and western sections for over a decade.
