Political earthquake rocks Greece following the EU agricultural subsidies scandal

Greece’s migration minister Makis Voridis resigned on Friday (27 June) after being implicated in a European Union investigation into the misuse of subsidies to Greek farmers, although he denied any wrongdoing.

The EU earlier this month imposed a 415 million euro fine on Greece over a major scandal involving the mismanagement of agricultural subsidies by a government agency between 2016 and 2022.

Brussels strikes hard: Greece hit with €415 million CAP fine over systemic failures

“Because my status as a suspect of committing criminal acts is not consistent with my status as a member of the government and in order not to hinder the government’s work, I submit to you my resignation,” Voridis said in a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The OPEKEPE scandal sparked dramatic developments, causing significant tremors in the government staff. The resignations of Deputy Ministers Tassos Hadjivassiliou, Dionysis Stamenitis and Christos Boukorou followed. At the same time, the Secretary General of Rural Development, Giorgos Stratakos, was removed from the government.

This political storm came as a result of the case file forwarded to Parliament by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which mentions indications of criminal infidelity and moral instigation against former Ministers of Rural Development Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis. The evidence include wiretapped telephone conversations about agricultural subsidy arrangements, with a range of irregularities.

The names of the deputy ministers, as well as those of members of parliament from New Democracy, PASOK and SYRIZA, appear in legal hearings, while the case of the Monastery of Odigitria, which is allegedly involved in irregularities with subsidies through the exploitation of pastures, also occupies a central place in the case file.

Of particular importance is the note in the communication from prosecutor Popi Papandreou regarding the risk of statute of limitations for possible offenses by Voridis, due to the time frame in which they were committed before the revision of article 86 of the Greek Constitution governing the criminal liability of ministers. This revision establishes that ministers and deputy ministers can only be prosecuted for criminal acts related to their duties through a special process involving the Hellenic Parliament.

This point caused discomfort in the government camp, with some speaking of a direct challenge to the constitutional limits of the criminal liability of ministers.

At the same time, Lefteris Avgenakis is reportedly in an even more difficult position, based on the material in the case file, which includes emails and recorded conversations of his associates, regarding wrongdoing with ID numbers through which agricultural subsidies were illegally obtained.

The Mitsotakis government was quick to absorb the shock, immediately accepting the resignations, while sources claimed that Makis Voridis’ departure “does not constitute an acceptance of charges, but an act of protecting his personal integrity.”

The opposition parties are calling for the resignation of the prime minister, accusing him of personal responsibility in the handling of the scandal. SYRIZA, PASOK and KKE speak of a “government under judicial pressure”, demanding elections and a full clarification of the cases.

The OPEKEPE affair reveals a complex web of connections, political favors and pressures, and highlights the fragility of the Greek political establishment. Mitsotakis is expected to announce replacements next week, while Monday’s cabinet meeting will be a test of the government’s cohesion.

The handling of the scandal may have long-term implications, not only for the individuals involved, but also for the government’s political credibility at home and abroad.

Caption: Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Makis Voridis at the Hellenic Parliament in Athens, Greece, 4 March 2025 (reissued 27 June 2025). EPA/YANNIS KOLESIDIS