Kovesi’s Athens visit amid widening EU probe into alleged misuse of hundreds of millions in farm subsidies

The visit to Athens by European Public Prosecutor Laura Kovesi unfolded against a backdrop of governmental tension and organization nervousness, arsenic Greece present grapples with a widening probe into alleged misuse of hundreds of millions of euros successful EU cultivation subsidies.

Kovesi, caput of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), arrived successful Greece connected Saturday, May 3, arsenic the agency’s Athens bureau oversees 1 of the country’s astir politically charged fiscal investigations successful caller years. Government officials person criticised aspects of the probe into the OPEKEPE workplace funds scandal, while EPPO-linked prosecutors person faced nationalist scrutiny implicit their mandate renewals.

Despite this, Kovesi’s engagements — including a one-on-one gathering with Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis and her information successful the Delphi Economic Forum — proceeded mostly without nationalist scrutiny. Kathimerini reported that a gathering with Floridis was arranged well earlier the latest governmental tensions emerged.

Kovesi has signalled cautious expectations, though. “Some promises person been made. We came to spot what the situation is,” she said, successful a remark widely interpreted arsenic a notation to organization commitments regarding the EPPO’s work successful Greece.

Kovesi, caput of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), arrived successful Greece Saturday May 3, arsenic the agency’s Athens bureau oversees 1 of the country’s astir politically charged fiscal investigations successful caller years.

Only weeks earlier, the Ministry of Justice had approved an enlargement of the Greek EPPO office, adding three full-time prosecutors to bring the total to 13. The determination was seen arsenic a partial effect to Kovesi’s earlier petition for greater staffing capacity.

The Athens bureau includes ten European Delegated Prosecutors drawn from crossed Greece’s judicial system, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Eleni Karkampouna. The EPPO structure successful Greece is among the largest per capita successful the eurozone, whereas countries such arsenic Spain and France run with less prosecutors per capita.

Tensions person escalated implicit the renewal of mandates for three Greek prosecutors serving successful the EPPO. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis publically questioned whether 1 prosecutor, Popi Papandreou, had acted to unafraid her reappointment by advancing delicate lawsuit files to Parliament — allegations that were strongly rejected by absorption parties and judicial associations.

The contention intensified aft the EPPO College renewed the mandates of Papandreou, Dionysis Mouzakis and Eleni Thanou successful November 2025 without anterior endorsement from Greece’s Supreme Judicial Council.

Kovesi defended the determination and said, “We renewed the term of bureau of two Greek prosecutors, on with much than 100 European Delegated Prosecutors successful 22 different member-states.”

Justice Minister Floridis, however, insisted that Greek law process required consultation with the Supreme Judicial Council.

“The Constitution stipulates that the Supreme Judicial Council beryllium consulted. A judicial serviceman cannot beryllium transferred oregon promoted unless the assembly decides so,” helium told the media.

Kovesi maintained that procedural steps were being respected, clarifying that “an administrative step” remained for ceremonial completion.

At the bosom of the quality lies a broader question of authorization betwixt nationalist judicial systems and the EU-level EPPO. As 1 judicial source told Kathimerini, “The Supreme Judicial Council has the archetypal say, but the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has the last.”

Kovesi, for her part, seemed unruffled by the organization friction.

“I afloat trust that the assembly will marque the close decision. They are independent, conscionable similar us,” she told the media.