Kovesi meets Greek justice minister ahead of key parliamentary vote

European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi held a little gathering Wednesday with Greek Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis arsenic Greece prepares for a important parliamentary vote connected lifting immunity for lawmakers linked to a European Union workplace subsidies investigation.

The gathering lasted astir 35 minutes and came up of Kovesi’s information successful the Delphi Economic Forum connected Thursday.

Later Wednesday, Parliament is acceptable to vote connected whether to assistance the immunity of 13 lawmakers connected to an EU probe into alleged clientelism successful the allocation of cultivation subsidies successful 2021 – a lawsuit that has politically strained the blimpish government. The result will find whether the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) tin proceed with the investigation.

The talks besides took spot against the backdrop of pending administrative issues involving EPPO operations successful Greece, including the renewal of mandates for three European delegated prosecutors and a petition to grow the fig of posts by three, a connection antecedently submitted by Kovesi and accepted by Greek authorities.

Also contiguous astatine the gathering were Deputy Justice Minister Ioannis Bougas, Eleni Karkabouna, the pb European delegated authoritative successful Greece and an appeals tribunal prosecutor, and authoritative Antonis Papamatthaiou.

According to sources astatine the Justice Ministry, each outstanding issues raised by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office were “resolved” during the discussions.

Officials said there was nary notation during the gathering to Article 86 of the Greek Constitution, which governs the prosecution of serving oregon erstwhile authorities ministers. Kovesi had antecedently highlighted the proviso during an earlier visit. However, discussions reportedly included the government’s volition to reintroduce measures aimed astatine speeding up ineligible procedures successful cases involving governmental figures.

The contented of lawsuit files being submitted successful fragmented signifier – something the authorities says has analyzable investigations – was besides reportedly raised during the talks.