Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose administration is under pressure from an EU farm subsidy scandal, on Friday denied any plans for early elections, despite mounting speculation to the contrary.
“(Elections) will not be held in the autumn,” Mitsotakis told Open TV.
“We are the leading party, with lower percentages, yes, but still 14–15 points ahead of the second (party),” he added.
Media reports have suggested that Mitsotakis’s inner circle has advised him to hold elections in September, before Greece takes over the EU presidency in July 2027.
The conservative government has been shaken by an ongoing EU farm scandal investigation by the European Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
The EPPO has already accused ruling party lawmakers and other officials of having assisted fraudulent subsidy claims worth millions of euros over several years.
Prosecutors say dozens of suspects made subsidy claims for land they did not own, and exaggerated the number of animals on farms.
Most of the cases centred on the island of Crete, where Mitsotakis’ family has held political influence for over a century.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) last week indicted four ruling party lawmakers, including the former political secretary of Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party.
The EPPO said it was unable to pursue allegations against seven other members of parliament, as well as two former lawmakers, due to lack of evidence.
But it said that three other former lawmakers remained under investigation.
Mitsotakis has said the fraud began in 2016, before he came to power in 2019.
And last week, he criticised the EPPO after it dropped part of the investigation.
“In its way, it seems to be getting involved in domestic party competition” ahead of an election year, he said.
“Who is going to apologise today for this wretchedness” that saw “honest politicians” smeared, he said at a government meeting, according to his office.
On Friday, he said the EPPO needed to “find its footing”.
“The Greek government… supports this institution,” Mitsotakis insisted.
“But I am fully justified in also exercising what I believe is well-founded criticism when I consider that at times it too may have made mistakes.”
Source: AFP
