The majority of fraudulent aid was directed to Crete, an island where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s family has held significant political sway for more than a century.
On Friday, three ministers from the Greek cabinet stepped down amid an expanding EU agricultural subsidy scandal, intensifying pressure on the ruling conservative administration, according to state broadcaster ERT.
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The broadcaster reported the resignations of the agriculture and civil protection ministers, along with a deputy health minister, while the government spokesperson is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle shortly.
This development follows Thursday’s revelation that European prosecutors are intensifying investigations into numerous politicians from Greece’s ruling party on suspicion of fraudulent claims for EU farming subsidies, broadening a scandal ongoing for nearly a year and placing additional strain on the government.
In May of the previous year, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) first disclosed the fraud, accusing those receiving subsidies of filing claims for lands they did not actually own and overstating livestock numbers on farms.
Some subsidy recipients were unrelated to the agricultural sector.
These accusations triggered a series of raids and arrests in October and persistent demonstrations by farmers whose rightful payments were delayed.
Members of the New Democracy party, currently in government, have increasingly become entangled in a scheme suspected to involve tens of millions in misappropriated subsidies, with the EPPO investigating 20 members so far.
On Wednesday, prosecutors requested that the immunity of 11 MPs be lifted for prosecution, while naming seven additional politicians under suspicion, reportedly including a former agriculture minister.
The agency confirmed on Thursday that two more MPs are also under investigation, corroborating reports by the state news agency ANA.
«I can confirm that,» stated Tine Hollevoet, spokesperson for the Luxembourg-based office. «Nevertheless, I cannot disclose any names.»
Crete was the primary beneficiary of the fraudulent subsidies, where the family of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has exerted political influence for over one hundred years.
Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of any ministers implicated in the investigation.
Mitsotakis, emphasizing that the fraud dates back before his 2019 election, has pledged to prosecute those responsible and recover the misappropriated funds.
With elections slated for next year, Mitsotakis’s conservative party maintains a lead in polls but is unlikely to achieve an outright majority.
Additional sources • AFP