Greece’s Supreme Judicial Council is set to select three prosecutors on Thursday to fill newly created positions in the Greek office of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), expanding the country’s contingent from 10 to 13 members following a request by EPPO chief Laura Kovesi.
About 15 prosecutors are competing for the posts. Five candidates are seeking one appellate prosecutor position, including Dimitris Zimianitis, who served as Greece’s first European prosecutor in 2020, while more than 10 first-instance prosecutors are competing for the remaining two positions.
The appointments come amid continuing tensions between EPPO and the Greek government over the renewal of the mandates of three delegated European prosecutors. Although the Supreme Judicial Council approved renewing their terms, it granted a two-year extension rather than the five years approved by the College of European Prosecutors.
EPPO has appealed the matter to Greece’s Supreme Court. According to judicial sources, the appeal is expected to be discussed on June 24, but faces significant procedural obstacles because challenges to service-related judicial decisions are generally reserved for directly affected parties.
