Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday proposed a ban on ministers serving simultaneously as members of Parliament after the 2027 elections, amid a European investigation into alleged European Union farm subsidy fraud that has put significant pressure on his conservative government.
Under the proposal, ministers would be replaced in Parliament by the next-in-line candidate for as long as they serve in the cabinet, a move Mitsotakis said would also elevate the role of lawmakers.
The proposal comes after three ministers resigned Friday, triggering a cabinet reshuffle, as the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) requested immunity waivers for 11 lawmakers in a case that has stirred public anger in Greece and raised concerns among farmers.
Speaking about the investigation, Mitsotakis said, “It is clear that not all cases carry the same weight. One thing, however, is certain: none of our MPs are accused of deriving financial gain.”
Invoking the presumption of innocence, he urged the EPPO to “proceed swiftly with all investigative actions after the lifting of our MPs’ immunity and decide on how many and which individuals it intends to prosecute… We are talking about our MPs who have already suffered personal and political harm. They therefore have the minimal right to defend themselves.”
Mitsotakis, whose administration is now in its seventh year, said the government is committed to fighting corruption long seen as endemic in Greece’s political system. “I strive to transform Greece into a modern European state,” he said, adding that “digital modernization addresses minor or major corruption wherever the human factor is involved.”
He described the moment as a “turning point” and “a new starting point in the fight against the ‘deep state’,” asserting that “New Democracy is becoming a force for breaking with entrenched wrongs.”