Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis announced today, Monday, July 14, that the government plans to propose the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate the OPEKEPE (Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid) case, Greece’s farm subsidy scandal.
The scandal, recently uncovered, concerns the period from 1998, the year the agency was founded, up to the present day. The proposal is expected to be submitted to Parliament for a vote in the coming days.
Marinakis’ announcement on proposal for Greece’s OPEKEPE farm subsidy scandal
During his briefing to the press, Marinakis disclosed the government’s rationale behind this decision, outlining the following:
- OPEKEPE distributes approximately $2.75 billion annually (€2.5 billion) to about 645,000 agricultural producers. This long-standing and systemic issue requires thorough investigation. A parliamentary inquiry committee would have full authority and flexibility to investigate without restrictions. The goal is to seek accountability based on verified facts rather than political maneuvering. The committee will examine the agency’s operations from its inception in 1998 to today.
- Since 1998, Greece has faced more than $2.97 billion (€2.7 billion) in fines related to OPEKEPE. This underlines the need to identify the causes of these financial corrections, explore underlying problems, and close the gaps that lead to substantial economic penalties from the European Union.
- The committee will scrutinize the actions of OPEKEPE’s leadership from 1998 to the present, including their recommendations to political leaders and how those were received. It will also investigate which ministers referred fraud cases to the judiciary and what actions were taken concerning suspicious taxpayer IDs (“red” VAT numbers) identified through internal cross-checking.
- Investigators will examine who initiated and conducted cross-check audits, their findings, durations, and what system weaknesses emerged. The role of the agency’s technical advisor will be reviewed, along with any improper influence on the agency or failures in its internal control mechanisms.
- Critical systemic issues such as the “technical solution”—a method historically used by several administrations to manage livestock subsidy payments—will be analyzed. The committee will also look into the controversial definition of pasturelands that prompted the use of such “technical solutions.”
- The inquiry will explore why grazing management plans have not been implemented to date and how this connects to Greece’s forest registry, land registry, and other digital tools used by OPEKEPE.
The recent case files submitted to Parliament by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, involving two former agriculture ministers, do not meet constitutional requirements for forming a preliminary investigative committee. No indictments have been filed against any other non-political figures mentioned in the documents.
In conclusion, Marinakis remarked:
“For all these reasons—but most importantly, because we aim to address a serious and persistent issue rather than exploit it politically—we propose the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry committee. Everything will be thoroughly investigated with full transparency and no cover-ups, in pursuit of the truth and to restore integrity to the subsidy system.”
Opposition reactions
SYRIZA (the Coalition of the Radical Left) was the first opposition party to respond to the government’s announcement, accusing the ruling New Democracy party of attempting to deflect attention from its own accountability in the OPEKEPE scandal. It is of the view that “New Democracy is trying to cloud the issue and evade its significant responsibility for yet another scandal—this time concerning OPEKEPE.”
The party further criticized the government for repeatedly attributing scandals to so-called “chronic dysfunctions” of the state, while avoiding political accountability. “For the past six years, every time a new scandal emerges, blame is placed on long-standing systemic issues—never on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis or his administration, even when evidence submitted to Parliament tells a different story,” it was stated.
The party also emphasized that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has submitted a case file specifically focusing on the period from 2019 onward, implicating two key political figures—Lefteris Avgenakis and Makis Voridis—and providing concrete evidence for investigation. “These matters cannot be watered down through a vague inquiry that diffuses blame instead of addressing direct responsibilities.”
SYRIZA also cited Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ recent statement on another high-profile case:
“Let’s not forget his remark that ‘the Tempi investigation was not Parliament’s finest hour.’ So why is the same flawed process being used again—particularly when a detailed case file is already before Parliament?”
PASOK: “The masks have fallen—this is a political cover-up”
PASOK (the Panhellenic Socialist Party) responded with strong condemnation, accusing the government of orchestrating a deliberate cover-up of both political and potentially criminal responsibilities linked to former New Democracy ministers. “Today, the masks have fallen. What we are witnessing is a carefully constructed plan to shield the current administration and its former ministers from scrutiny,” the party’s spokesperson stated.
Marinakis was also criticized for rejecting PASOK’s proposal for a Preliminary Inquiry Committee, despite the urgent transmission of a case file by the European Public Prosecutor that includes references to possible statute of limitations on criminal charges. “Acting as judge and jury, Mr. Marinakis issued a blanket acquittal without providing any legal justification.”
PASOK described the proposed parliamentary inquiry as a “whitewash mechanism,” accusing the government of attempting to shift focus by launching an overly broad investigation covering the period of time all the way back to 1998, rather than focusing on recent allegations. “This is an insult to the intelligence of the Greek public. The government is essentially saying that no matter what new evidence comes to light, they’ve already decided to blur the lines of accountability by labeling everything as a ‘chronic issue.’”
The party also condemned the government’s dismissal of the European Public Prosecutor’s findings and its implicit lack of trust in the Greek judicial system. The PASOK spokesperson concluded with scathing remarks:
“If the government was indeed aware of these problems, as it now claims, why did it allow a corruption free-for-all within OPEKEPE—organized by party insiders and close associates?
Were the illegal actions that occurred under the New Democracy government merely ‘systemic problems’? And who exactly were the so-called ‘frappé drinkers’ and ‘butchers’? To which political camp did they belong?
Mr. Mitsotakis is not only the Prime Minister of ‘we failed,’ but also of ‘we consistently cover up.’”