Greek PM Reshuffles Cabinet Within Hours of Farm Subsidies Scandal Reaching Parliament

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has carried retired a swift furniture reshuffle, forcing retired 3 ministers and a lawman curate wrong hours of the European Public Prosecutor's OPEKEPE workplace subsidies lawsuit record reaching parliament, replacing them with figures designed to awesome a cleanable interruption from the scandal.

Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis and Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiara submitted their resignations, arsenic did Deputy Health Minister Dimitris Vartzópoulos, each named successful the European prosecutor's lawsuit files. Deputy Agriculture Minister Christos Kellas was besides replaced contempt not being named successful the proceedings, arsenic Mr. Mitsotakis signaled a broader restructuring of the ministry astatine the halfway of the scandal.

Former European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas was appointed Agriculture Minister, with authorities sources describing the prime arsenic a awesome of intent to alteration the ministry from "a subsidies and compensation office, arsenic it has been for decades, into a modern operation compatible with the cleanup already underway."

Evangelos Tournas replaced Mr. Kefalogiannis astatine Civil Protection, and Makarios Lazaridis was appointed Deputy Agriculture Minister. Mr. Vartzópoulos's wellness portfolio volition beryllium redistributed internally.

Beyond the cabinet, New Democracy enactment caput Kostas Skrekas and parliamentary spokesperson Notis Mitarakis besides resigned from their enactment roles.

The eleven implicated lawmakers began receiving their copies of the lawsuit record precocious Friday, with the parliamentary Ethics Committee to person afloat copies Saturday morning. Each record exceeds 1,000 pages. Immunity lifting proceedings are scheduled for Holy Tuesday, with a afloat plenary ballot expected aft Easter.

Government sources noted that 2 of the eleven lawmakers look felony-level charges involving alleged interventions exceeding 120,000 euros, portion the remainder look misdemeanor counts of varying severity.