A prominent hard-right lawmaker, Thanos Plevris, was sworn in on Monday as Greece’s new Minister for Migration and Asylum replacing Makis Voridis, who resigned amid a widening scandal over misuse of European Union agricultural subsidies.
Haris Theoharis becomes Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; Giannis Andrianos takes on the role of Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Food; and Christos Dermetzopoulos is appointed Deputy Minister for Digital Governance.
The OPEKEPE scandal
Voridis was among five senior government officials, including three deputy ministers and a secretary general — who stepped down last Friday following allegations of involvement in a scheme that funneled EU funds to ineligible recipients.
The funds, distributed through the government agency OPEKEPE, were reportedly granted to individuals who falsely claimed ownership or rental of non-existent livestock or farmland.
Plevris, 48, is expected to continue Greece’s strict stance on migration. Like his predecessor, he joined the ruling conservative New Democracy party in 2012 after leaving the far-right Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS).
Voridis has denied any wrongdoing, stating he resigned to clear his name.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which investigated the case, recently handed over a detailed dossier to the Greek Parliament implicating officials. Under Greek law, ministers have immunity from prosecution unless it is lifted by a parliamentary vote.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis publicly acknowledged that his party had failed to eradicate corruption.
“Significant reforms were made, but let’s be honest. we failed,” he admitted in a social media post.
He pledged that anyone found to have unlawfully received EU funds would be required to return the money.
“Our many farmers and livestock breeders who work hard and follow the law will not tolerate fraudsters who claimed fake pastures and animals — or those who enabled them,” Mitsotakis said.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis re-addressed the unfolding subsidy scandal, announcing the creation of a dedicated task force to investigate and recover EU agricultural funds that were wrongly disbursed by the OPEKEPE payments authority.
“The state will now assume this responsibility centrally,” Mitsotakis said, acknowledging that the issue is far more extensive in Greece than in other EU countries. “The inadequacy of the state in this matter has been evident, and while efforts have been made to address it, we have not succeeded, until now.”
The task force, comprising members of the financial police, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), and other oversight bodies, will be tasked with identifying cases of illegal payments and ensuring funds are reclaimed in line with both national and EU regulations.
Mitsotakis underscored that such practices can no longer be tolerated within his party or the government. “We are turning a page, in full cooperation with European authorities, to restore trust and integrity in the agricultural aid system,” he said.
The Prime Minister also linked the scandal to broader issues of state reform and sovereignty, highlighting the European Council’s recent conclusions as particularly favourable to Greece. He noted the Council reaffirmed Greece’s sovereign rights in the Mediterranean and deemed the Turkish-Libyan maritime agreement illegal.
“These are actions on the ground, searching for fossil fuels within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), maritime spatial planning, and the presence of our Armed Forces to protect our maritime borders that provoke reactions. But Europe now firmly supports our position,” Mitsotakis stated.
He called on domestic critics to remain calm and avoid shaping Greece’s foreign policy response based on provocations. “Let us not define our stance externally, based on our neighbours’ arguments,” he added.
€8 billion in EU-funded programs announced for energy, housing, and transport
European programmes totalling €8 billion were announced on Monday afternoon during an inter-ministerial press conference. Aimed at reducing energy costs, protecting the environment, supporting vulnerable households and micro-enterprises, addressing the housing crisis, and improving transport, the initiatives will be implemented between 2026 and 2032.
The funding comes from three new European sources: the Social Climate Fund, the Modernisation Fund, and the Island Resilience Fund.
The implementation plan was discussed at the Cabinet meeting and presented by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, along with the Ministers for Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou; Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Sofia Zacharaki; Development Takis Theodorikakos; Social Cohesion and Family Domna Michailidou; Maritime and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias; and Alternate Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis.
The programmes to be supported by the new funds include:
Electrical interconnections for the Dodecanese, North Aegean, and Cyclades to reduce public utility service charges for consumers.
Subsidies for energy upgrades in buildings, with increased private sector participation.
Financial support for vulnerable and low-income households, including heating allowances and rent subsidies.
Construction of social housing and renovation of student accommodation.
Upgrades to the Athens Metro and procurement of new electric buses for Attica and Thessaloniki.
Projects addressing water scarcity, such as desalination and dam construction.
Incentives for micro-enterprises to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and equipment.
Energy-saving investments in the industrial sector.
Rent subsidies for public servants working in regions with housing shortages.
Energy upgrades for ships, with participation from Greek shipyards.
