STORY: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis swore in new cabinet members on Saturday (April 5), before the President, Konstantinos Tasoulas, at the presidential mansion, following a reshuffle aimed at containing the political fallout from a growing scandal over alleged fraud involving European Union farm subsidies.

The changes, announced on Friday, included the appointment of Margaritis Schinas, former European Commission Vice President, as agriculture minister and Evangelos Tournas as minister for climate crisis and civil protection.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the alleged misuse of EU agricultural funds distributed through Greece’s payments agency OPEKEPE.

European prosecutors have charged dozens of individuals, including livestock breeders, over claims they falsified land ownership declarations to obtain subsidies.

The total estimated damage to the EU budget stands at around 2.9 million euros, according to prosecutors.

In a move that has intensified political pressure, the European Chief Prosecutor has also requested that the Greek parliament lift the immunity of at least 11 lawmakers to allow further investigation into their alleged involvement.

OPEKEPE manages more than 2 billion euros in EU agricultural aid annually.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ATHENS, GREECE (APRIL 4, 2026) (ERT POOL - Access all)

1. THREE NEW CABINET MEMBERS BEFORE THE SWEARING CEREMONY STARTS (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : MAKARIOS LAZARIDIS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT, EVANGELOS TOURNAS, MINISTER OF CLIMATE AND CIVIL PROTECTION, MARGARITIS SCHINAS, MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT)

2. PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC KONSTANTINOS TASOULAS ENTERS AND STANDS NEXT TO GREEK PRIME MINISTER KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS

3. VARIOUS OF THE NEW CABINET MEMBERS PUTTING THEIR HAND ON THE HOLY GOSPEL DURING SWEARING IN CEREMONY BEFORE PRIESTS

4. MINISTERS STANDING

5. PRESIDENT TASOULAS SIGNING THE OATH OF OFFICE PROTOCOL

6. TASOULAS SIGNATURE

7. VARIOUS OF MITSOTAKIS SIGNING THE OATH OF OFFICE PROTOCOL

8. VARIOUS OF MARGARITIS SCHINAS SIGNING THE OATH OF OFFICE PROTOCOL

9. SCHINAS SHAKING HANDS WITH MITSOTAKIS AND TASOULAS

10. VARIOUS OF EVANGELOS TOURNAS SIGNING THE OATH OF OFFICE

11. VARIOUS OF MAKARIOS LAZARIDIS SIGNING THE OATH OF OFFICE

12. MITSOTAKIS CHATTING WITH THE THREE NEW MINISTERS