Athens, 27 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has accepted the resignation of a former agriculture minister and three deputy ministers linked to the abuse of European Union farming subsidies, Mitsotakis's office announced on Friday.

The resignations included a key Mitsotakis ally, Makis Voridis of the ruling conservative Nea Dimokratia party. He served as agriculture minister in 2020, before becoming migration minister, until his resignation on Friday.

Opposition politicians accused the ministers of failing to check subsidies adequately and even of providing politically motivated favours for associates. They called for a parliamentary inquiry.

EU corruption officials informed Athens about the case in March last year. It concerned fictitious information on alleged agricultural land and the payment of unjustified subsidies for rocky ground, woodland and even land across the border in North Macedonia.

The EU report was presented to parliament at the beginning of the week.

Last month, Mitsotakis shut down the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids (OPEKEPE), which was responsible for the subsidies.

Charges have been lodged against around 100 suspects, who are said to have pocketed a total of €2.9 million ($3.4 million) in illegal subsidies.

Some €170 million could have been misappropriated since 2017, Greek media have reported. Greece has had to pay fines to the EU on account of the irregularities.