Greece reshuffles its cabinet to contain the widening fallout from the EU farm subsidy scandal
🌍 Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s cabinet shake-up shows Athens is trying to contain the political damage from the EU farm subsidy scandal before it grows into something larger than an administrative controversy.
🧾 The focus is OPEKEPE, the agency handling more than EUR 2 billion in farm aid each year, where authorities allege false pastureland claims were used to secure subsidies improperly. The fact that the EU had already fined Greece EUR 392 million over weak oversight makes this episode even more damaging for the government’s image.
🏛️ The appointment of Margaritis Schinas as agriculture minister looks more like an effort to reassure Brussels than a sign the problem has been resolved. The new cabinet may help stabilize the government in the near term, but it does not address the deeper flaws in the subsidy system.
⚠️ The bigger risk now lies in the investigation itself, with EPPO seeking the lifting of immunity for several current and former lawmakers. If the case keeps expanding, it could turn into a prolonged political drag on New Democracy ahead of future election debates.