A high-profile corruption scandal in Greece has taken a dramatic turn as the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) formally named on Thursday two former Greek ministers, Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis, as persons of interest in an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of European Union agricultural subsidies. The development has ignited intense political controversy and cast a long shadow over the ruling New Democracy party.
At the heart of the probe is OPEKEPE, the Greek agency responsible for managing and distributing EU farming subsidies. The EPPO has been investigating what it describes as an “organized fraud scheme” involving public officials within OPEKEPE and the misuse of EU funds earmarked for agricultural support between 2019 and 2024. As the investigation unfolded, European prosecutors say they uncovered evidence pointing to the potential involvement of the two former Ministers of Rural Development in facilitating or encouraging the embezzlement of these funds while in office.
Because of constitutional protections in Greece, EPPO is legally barred from prosecuting current or former members of the Greek government. As a result, the case file—containing what prosecutors describe as significant preliminary evidence—has been referred to the Greek Parliament, the only body authorized to investigate and potentially indict ministers under Greek law. In a strongly worded statement, EPPO voiced concern that these legal restrictions hinder its ability to carry out its EU-mandated duties, describing the situation as a challenge to the alignment between national and European law. The office has since referred the matter to the European Commission.
Makis Voridis, one of the former ministers named in the case, denied any wrongdoing in a public statement, insisting he has committed no criminal acts during his tenure. “I know exactly what I did while serving as Minister of Rural Development. I have not committed any offense. I will respond further once I have reviewed the contents of the case file,” Voridis said.
The political response in Greece has been swift and polarized. Opposition parties are seizing the moment to criticize the government, accusing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of tolerating corruption and failing to ensure accountability. The center-left PASOK party called the case “a major institutional and political blow” for the ruling party, highlighting what it called the government’s efforts to downplay the scandal. SYRIZA, the left-wing opposition, noted the “unprecedented frequency of corruption revelations” under New Democracy and emphasized that the EPPO’s investigation had “stumbled upon political figures” during its inspection of OPEKEPE.
The recently formed New Left party went further, calling for Voridis’s immediate removal from all public roles until the matter is resolved. The party also criticized Greece’s constitutional framework, which it argued shields ministers from judicial scrutiny and hinders cooperation with EU institutions.
On the nationalist front, the Greek Solution party claimed vindication, saying it had raised alarms about OPEKEPE as early as 2021 but was ignored. It accused the government of allowing the mismanagement of EU subsidies to continue unchecked, thereby bringing international embarrassment to the country.
As legal proceedings unfold, the broader EPPO investigation into non-political figures continues. Seven related trials are already scheduled in Greek courts for later this year. Attention is also turning to the role of the agency’s technical consultant, a private company called Neuropublic, which played a central part in managing the digital systems used to administer the subsidies during the contested period.
