Athens, Greece. The Greek parliament voted on Wednesday to lift the immunity of 13 lawmakers implicated in a scandal over alleged fraud linked to European Union farm subsidies. The move follows a request from the European chief prosecutor to expand an investigation into the scheme.
European prosecutors widen investigation
Last year, European prosecutors charged dozens of Greek stockbreeders with allegedly faking ownership of pastureland to claim millions of euros in EU subsidies, with alleged help from state employees and conservative politicians.
The affair prompted ministerial resignations and led the EU to impose a hefty fine on Greece over mismanagement of subsidies by its Opekepe payment agency.
This month, the European chief prosecutor asked the Greek parliament to lift the immunity of 13 active lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party in two separate files, including former ministers of agriculture and civil protection, so they can be investigated over their alleged roles.
Government changes and legal framework
The development led Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this month to replace two ministers implicated in the affair as he sought to shore up public trust in New Democracy.
Under Greek law, lawmakers cannot be investigated by the judiciary unless parliament votes to waive their immunity. The lawmakers have denied wrongdoing and told parliament before Wednesday’s vote that they agreed to have their immunity lifted so the investigation could proceed.
Allegations and parallel inquiries
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office probe concerns alleged crimes against the bloc’s financial interests in 2021, including instigation of breach of trust, computer fraud and false attestation with the intent to obtain an unlawful benefit.
A separate Greek parliamentary probe ended this year in political deadlock due to competing findings by political parties.
Polling
New Democracy’s support fell to 25.7% in April from 28.7% in March, though it remained 12.2 percentage points ahead of second-placed centre-left Pasok, according to an Interview survey published on Monday.
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