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Greek ministers resign over EU farm funds scandal
Four ministers from Greece's conservative New Democracy government resigned on Friday following revelations of their involvement in a scandal related to EU agriculture funds, in an affair that has shaken Greek politics.
The scandal came to light following an investigation led by EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi and her representative in Athens, Popi Papandreou. It centres on OPEKEPE, the Greek agency responsible for distributing EU agricultural subsidies. OPEKEPE is accused of processing falsified land leases and false declarations, channelling millions of euros to non-existent farmland.
Several livestock farmers from the island of Crete have been accused of fraud for the period between 2019 and 2022. According to Kathimerini , the total budget for organic farming during that period was €298 million, but subsidy applications totalling €705 million were submitted to OPEKEPE.
The Greek government has since dissolved OPEKEPE, and in coordination with the European Commission, transferred its activities to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. Wiretaps reveal pressure on EU prosecutor
The ministers who resigned were all linked to the agriculture ministry during the period in question: current Migration Minister Makis Voridis, Deputy Foreign Minister Tassos Hadjivassiliou, Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Food Dionysis Stamenitis and Deputy Minister for Digital Governance Christos Boukoros.
Wiretapped phone conversations, which are now part of the legal case, suggest that individuals involved in the scandal coordinated with Greek ministers to intervene and "get rid" of Papandreou, who was investigating the matter.
In a separate but related case, on 11 June the European Commission imposed a €415 million fine on Greece for the systematic mismanagement of agricultural aid from 2016 to 2023 – again involving OPEKEPE.
'Greek taxpayers will ultimately pay this money', Rural Development Minister Kostas Tsiaras told the Greek public broadcaster. (de)
