Kyriakos Mitsotakis calls alleged scamming of EU agricultural funds ‘a turning point’
The Greek prime minister has vowed to tackle what he has called a “deep state” he says is plaguing the country, as he sought to address a burgeoning political crisis over a farm fraud scandal that has forced the resignation of multiple government ministers.
In a speech, aired on national TV, Kyriakos Mitsotakis attempted to limit the damage, describing the revelations as “a turning point” that had turbo-charged his commitment to rooting out entrenched corruption.
“I am striving to transform Greece into a modern European state,” he said, acknowledging its pervasive clientelistic political system. “[This] is a new starting point in the fight against the ‘deep state’.”
The leader’s intervention came days after he was compelled to reshuffle his cabinet for a second time after the scheme of fraudulent EU subsidy claims first surfaced last year.
