A Defining Moment: Greek PM Links OPEKEPE Case to Deep State Battle

In a highly charged national address, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke “without evasions or ambiguity”, placing the OPEKEPE case at the center of a broader confrontation with long-standing structural flaws of the Greek state.

His message unfolded across three pillars: judicial developments, the fight against clientelism, and upcoming institutional reforms.

Call for swift judicial action

Mitsotakis described the transmission of the case file to Parliament and the request to lift the immunity of 11 ruling party MPs as a “serious development”.

He issued a direct appeal to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, urging it to move rapidly and clarify: whether prosecutions will be brought, and against whom.

“When I say swiftly, I mean it,” he stressed, highlighting that those involved have already suffered political and personal consequences and deserve a prompt resolution, while firmly defending the presumption of innocence.

Self-criticism and a broader political message

Adopting a more personal tone, the Prime Minister acknowledged that clientelistic practices are a deep-rooted issue in Greece’s political system.

“I did not emerge from political parthenogenesis,” he noted, adding pointedly that any politician claiming never to have facilitated a request is “simply lying.”

He also criticized what he described as hypocrisy from opponents who portray such practices as a recent phenomenon, arguing instead that they date back to the very foundation of the Greek state.

“OPEKEPE as we knew it no longer exists”

A key announcement was the transfer of responsibilities for agricultural subsidies from OPEKEPE to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).

The goal is clear: to sever the link between state aid and political mediation.

“Just as no one seeks favors for tax matters anymore, the same will apply to subsidies,” Mitsotakis said, framing the move as a major reform for farmers and breeders alike.

Digital transformation as an anti-corruption tool

The Prime Minister strongly emphasized digital modernization as a structural solution to corruption.

He cited examples already underway:

• faster pension processing
• automated traffic fines
• modernization of military service
• satellite monitoring of crops and digital livestock tracking

The underlying principle: reduce human discretion—and therefore opportunities for favoritism.

“We must deprive clientelism of its political oxygen,” he declared.

New reform agenda toward 2027

Looking ahead, Mitsotakis announced a new wave of institutional reforms to be implemented after the next national elections.

At the center of this agenda: the incompatibility between serving as a minister and as a Member of Parliament, with ministers being temporarily replaced in Parliament by alternate candidates.

This proposal aims to strengthen the separation of powers and enhance parliamentary oversight, responding to what he described as a growing crisis of trust in political institutions.

A political turning point?

Framing the moment as a “turning point”, Mitsotakis positioned the current crisis as an opportunity to launch a renewed battle against the so-called “deep state.”

Whether this message resonates with a skeptical public—or is seen as political damage control—remains to be tested.

What is certain is that the OPEKEPE case is evolving into a catalyst for broader political and institutional change, with its impact likely to extend well beyond the courtroom and into the 2027 elections.

Source: pagenews.gr