Greek PM Unveils Cabinet Reshuffle Over EU Subsidy Scandal
(MENAFN) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a significant cabinet reshuffle on Saturday following a spate of resignations linked to a major corruption scandal involving the misuse of European Union agricultural subsidies.
Thanos Plevris, the former health minister, has been appointed as Minister of Migration and Asylum. Harry Theoharis will serve as Deputy Foreign Minister. Additionally, Yiannis Andrianos and Christos Dermentzopoulos will take on roles as Deputy Ministers for Rural Development and Food, and Digital Governance, respectively. These officials are set to be officially sworn in on Monday, according to government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis.
The wave of resignations came amid an expanding probe into the alleged mishandling of EU funds distributed via OPEKEPE, the Greek agency responsible for administering payments under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
On Friday, five senior officials resigned after being implicated in a case file submitted by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to Greek judicial authorities. The case accuses them of fraudulently awarding subsidies between 2019 and 2021 to farmers who were not eligible, based on falsified documentation.
All five held influential roles within the Ministry of Rural Development and Food during the period under investigation.
The scandal deepened on Saturday as it spilled into the ruling New Democracy (ND) party. Two party officials—Andreas Karasarinis, secretary of ND’s agricultural organizations, and Yiannis Troullinos, a political committee member—also resigned after being named in the EPPO file.
Their resignations were quickly accepted by party leadership.
Amid growing public outcry and the unfolding scandal, the government ordered the suspension of OPEKEPE’s operations several weeks ago.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
