A scandal involving the misappropriation of EU agricultural subsidies has led to resignations at the highest political level in Greece.
The ministers for civil protection and agriculture, as well as a state secretary at the Ministry of Health, stepped down on Friday and have been replaced.
Commentators warn that the revelations could seriously jeopardize political stability in the country. Almost all opposition parties are calling for the resignation of the government and early elections.
The resignations followed investigations by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which had requested the lifting of immunity for the ministers who have resigned, as well as for numerous MPs.
All the parliamentarians and officials under scrutiny belong to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservative ruling party, New Democracy (ND).
The politicians in question are alleged to have attempted to favour their electorates and secure illegal subsidies. The conservatives have been in power in Greece since 2019.
In recent months, authorities have been investigating hundreds of farmers who, together with staff from the now-defunct agricultural authority OPEKEPE, are alleged to have fraudulently obtained millions of euros in subsidies.
The allegations range from embezzlement and computer fraud to falsification of documents.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to justice criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the European Union.