Attempts by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to probe EU agricultural subsidies fraud in Greece are triggering a political backlash from officials – and accusations of institutionalised clientelism from critics.
Eleni Stamatoukou
Government ministers and officials have reacted with anger after Greece’s parliament on April 22 – on the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, EPPO – lifted the immunity of 13 ruling New Democracy party MPs allegedly involved in an EU agricultural funds scandal.
“We have never seen such a massive lifting of parliamentary immunity in Greece,” noted Aris Stylianou, a professor of political science at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
The 13 parliamentarians, including two former ministers, were mentioned in files sent to the parliament by the EPPO, regarding subsidies illegally disbursed in 2021 by the Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids, OPEKEPE, the Greek state agency that oversaw the allocation of European farming subsidies.
EPPO is conducting several ongoing investigations into alleged organised fraud involving public officials in Greece concerning “alleged felonies and misdemeanours against the financial interests of the EU, namely instigation of breach of trust, computer fraud and false attestation with the intent to obtain for another an unlawful benefit”.
The MPs allegedly helped people to illegally access EU farming subsidies either for land they didn’t own or for agricultural work they didn’t do. The sums concern hundreds of millions of euros.
As well as costing the EU, farmers who were genuinely entitled to subsidies lost out, in order for “the subsidies to go to New Democracy’s producers or livestock farmers”, Stylianou commented.
However, Greek government ministers and New Democracy officials have questioned the European Prosecution’s actions, with some accusing it of political interference.
