The left-wing opposition force in Greece, SYRIZA, on Friday called for early elections after a reshuffle in the government caused by the resignations of ministers amid an escalating scandal related to European Union agricultural subsidies. This is reported by Ekathimerini.
SYRIZA is convinced that personnel decisions in the government alone are not enough.
“The resignations of ministers are not enough, as are the reshuffles in the government. The fish is rotting from the head down. The political responsibility for the scandals, corruption and decline lies with Mr. Mitsotakis himself, and he is part of the problem – he is the problem. In such cases, the decisions are made by the ballot box and the people,” – said SYRIZA spokesman Costas Zachariadis.
The next general election in Greece is due next year.
Two Greek government ministers resigned earlier this month after their names emerged in a European prosecutor’s investigation into a farm subsidy scandal. The Greek prime minister then reshuffled his cabinet. The case concerns alleged fraud involving payments by the now-defunct state agency OPEKEPE, which was responsible for administering European Union agricultural subsidies.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said it had found evidence that Greek farmers, with the help of officials, had embezzled EU funds.
Last year, the European Union fined Greece 392 million euros for the misuse of agricultural subsidies by the OPEKEPE agency between 2016 and 2023.
