PM Backs OPEKEPE Probe, Urges Political Calm

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday voiced his support in Parliament for the ruling New Democracy party’s proposal to establish an Investigation Committee into the operations of the payment authority OPEKEPE. Addressing lawmakers, Mitsotakis called for "institutional calmness and parliamentary responsibility," stressing that the aim is to address long-standing dysfunctions in the agency, not launch a partisan "witch hunt."

The prime minister described OPEKEPE as a "chronic open wound" that evolved into a vehicle for political favors, riddled with intermediaries and opaque practices. He admitted to systemic mismanagement over decades, adding that misuse of EU agricultural funds had harmed intended beneficiaries—farmers and livestock breeders, CE Report quotes Athens-Macedonia

Mitsotakis announced the integration of OPEKEPE into the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) to eliminate manual interference in subsidy allocation. He urged opposition parties to support a constructive path forward through a full parliamentary inquiry, underlining that only such a committee can offer a lasting, transparent solution.