Greek ministers resign over EU farming subsidy scandal

Key Points:

• Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis replaced Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras, Civil Protection Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis, and Deputy Health Minister Dimitris Vartzopoulos following a farm payment scandal involving alleged illegal channelling of EU subsidies by lawmakers.
• The scandal, investigated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, involves accusations of breach of trust, computer fraud, and false declarations, with about €23 million in fraudulent payments since 2018, primarily benefiting the island of Crete.
• Opposition parties have condemned the reshuffle and called for early elections, warning the scandal could destabilize the government ahead of next year's scheduled vote.
• Mitsotakis, who was not in power when the fraud began, pledged to prosecute those responsible and recover misappropriated funds, but legal challenges remain due to parliamentary immunity protections for ministers.
• The scandal has prompted multiple waves of resignations and investigations involving at least 20 members of the ruling New Democracy party, highlighting systemic issues in subsidy distribution and oversight.