Greek ministers resign over EU farming subsidy scandal
A widening investigation into possible abuse of EU farm subsidies in Greece has triggered cabinet resignations and intensified scrutiny of land and livestock claims.
A widening scandal over European Union farm subsidies has triggered another round of resignations in Greece. On April 3, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis replaced several officials after Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras, Civil Protection Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis and Deputy Health Minister Dimitris Vartzopoulos stepped down. All three denied wrongdoing and said their resignations were meant to clear the way for the investigation.
According to DW, investigators suspect that some lawmakers tried to steer EU subsidy money illegally toward their political base. Mitsotakis appointed former European Commission vice president Margaritis Schinas as the new agriculture minister. Opposition parties said the reshuffle was not enough and renewed calls for early elections, warning that the case could damage political stability ahead of next year's scheduled vote.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office is central to the case. EPPO says the probe now reaches at least 20 current and former members of the ruling New Democracy party. The office first detailed the alleged scheme last May, saying subsidy beneficiaries claimed land they did not own and overstated livestock numbers in order to draw more money from agricultural support programs.
Authorities say the suspected fraud may involve about 23 million euros in payments dating back to around 2018. Among the examples cited by investigators are banana plantations on Mount Olympus, olive trees on a military airport site and pasture claims on an archaeological area. Those examples have turned the case into a broader test of whether farm support controls in Greece were robust enough to prevent obviously implausible claims.
Crete has become a particular focus. Official figures show that roughly 80% of pasture subsidies granted between 2017 and 2020 went to the island. At the same time, while the number of livestock farmers has been declining in Greece overall, Crete registered about 13,000 new farmers between 2019 and 2025, and the tally of declared sheep and goats doubled. For the agricultural sector, the scandal is no longer only a political issue; it also raises questions about the credibility of subsidy distribution and oversight.