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3 Greek ministers quit as EU investigates alleged farm subsidy fraud
Investigators say the scheme may have involved €23 million in fraudulent payments, with 20 ruling party members now under scrutiny.
- On Friday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis replaced several cabinet officials to limit fallout from a widening scandal involving alleged fraud of European Union farm funds.
- Authorities allege the scheme involved about $26.5 million in fraudulent payments since about 2018, with roughly 80% of pasture subsidies granted from 2017 to 2020 siphoned to Crete.
- The European Public Prosecutor's Office probe now includes at least 20 ruling New Democracy party members, and investigators demanded on Wednesday that parliament lift immunity for 11 MPs.
- Following the resignations of Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras, Civil Protection Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis, and Deputy Health Minister Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Mitsotakis appointed Margaritis Schinas and Evangelos Tournas to cabinet posts.
- Warning the crisis could undermine political stability, opposition parties rejected the reshuffle and renewed calls for early elections ahead of the scheduled election next year.
25 Articles
25 Articles
This Friday, the Conservative Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, separated himself from two ministers, all of whom are in the sight of European justice, suspected of being involved in the misappropriation of EU aid to farmers. This is another turnaround in a scandal that has been shaking Greece for almost a year.
It concerns a EUR million fraud on European agricultural subsidies, on which the European Public Prosecutor investigates: two ministers resigned
Greece's conservative government is under increasing pressure over a widening scandal over European Union (EU) farm subsidies, with a cabinet reshuffle underway on Friday after three cabinet members resigned.
Greek PM reshuffles cabinet amid farm subsidies scandal
The Greek government is being rocked by a scandal involving the misuse of European agricultural funds, which has led to the resignation of two ministers and a state secretary, and more changes in high-ranking government positions have been announced.
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