A scandal over the misuse of EU agricultural subsidies has rocked Greece, with the European Commission on 11 June imposing a record fine of EUR 392.2 million and reducing agricultural subsidies by five per cent. The Commission cited oversight failures by the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids (OPEKEPE), which failed to monitor fraudulent claims for fictitious livestock and crops and how hundreds of millions in funds were distributed. On 19 June, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) submitted evidence to the Greek Parliament—authorised to investigate and prosecute current or former government members—alleging the involvement of two former ministers. The fine came amid an ongoing investigation, including May raids in Athens and Crete by the EPPO. Authorities have since dissolved OPEKEPE. The scandal triggered senior resignations, prompting Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to acknowledge systemic failures and pledge stronger anti-corruption efforts.

Update: On 29 July, the Parliament approved a government proposal to establish a committee to investigate OPEKEPE’s broader oversight failures, past mismanagement and possible political complicity. 

Sources: European Public Prosecutor’s Office (1), European Public Prosecutor’s Office (2), eKathimerini, EU Insider, Deutsche Welle, Associated Press, Neos Kosmos, Reuters

On 24 June, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in the case of Sagir and Others v. Greece that the Greek authorities’ refusal to register the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Xanthi violated Article 11 on freedom of association and assembly of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court stated that Greek courts should permit the case to be reopened if the applicants request it, and ordered authorities to pay each of the applicants EUR 3,000, and EUR 4,677 jointly for costs. In 2010, the association was denied registration by the Xanthi Court of First Instance, which argued that its name—referring to members as ‘Turkish’ rather than “Muslim Greeks”—could cause confusion about its identity. The ECtHR found that the refusal sought to differentiate between the recognized Muslim minority and the unrecognized Turkish one, but lacked justification based on public order or any pressing social need. 

Sources: European Court of Human Rights (1), European Court of Human Rights (2), eKathimerini

On 7 January, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that there were "strong indications" of a systematic practice of "pushbacks" of asylum seekers by Greek authorities, violating several aspects of the European Convention on Human Rights. This landmark decision marks the first time the ECHR has ruled on the country’s pushbacks, establishing a legal precedent and opening the door to both political and legal accountability to uphold the dignity, safety, and rights of those seeking asylum. The ECHR considered two cases, one of which involved an Afghan man and was rejected due to lack of evidence, and the other involved the pushback of a Turkish woman in 2019 without an assessment of the risks of her return. The Court ordered Greek authorities to pay the applicant EUR 20,000 in compensation. For over a decade, human rights organisations and international bodies have documented recurring pushbacks at the Greek border. Greek authorities denied the use of these practices.  

Sources: Euractiv, European Court of Human Rights,  eKathimerini, Human Rights Watch 

The Data Protection Authority of Greece has found that a file containing the personal email addresses and data of thousands of expatriate voters from the 2023 Greek national elections was leaked from the Interior Ministry to Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, an MEP for the ruling New Democracy party. The Interior Ministry was fined EUR 400,000, and Asimakopoulou received a fine of EUR 40,000 for violating voter privacy. Investigations into New Democracy's involvement in the scandal are ongoing, and additional fines may be imposed. Asimakopoulou used the list to send mass campaign emails to Greek expatriates, promoting her re-election bid to the European Parliament on the same day the Interior Ministry sent a separate message to inform voters about postal voting procedures. Asimakopoulou, who previously served as vice-chair of the committee on international trade, has resigned.

Source: Data Protection Authority, Politico, Reuters

Update: On 21 October, the Personal Data Protection Authority issued a fine of EUR 30,000 to the ruling New Democracy party for its involvement in leaking voter records. Its former Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, Nikos Theodoropoulos, was fined an additional EUR 10,000 for leaking the data to Asimakopoulou. The party has sought to appeal the decision. 

Sources: Politico, Hellenic Data Protection Authority, Greek Reporter 

On 15 February, the Greek parliament passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage and granting same-sex couples the ability to adopt, and full parental rights to those with existing children. The bill doesn’t allow same-sex couples to pursue surrogacy, which is currently allowed only for women, single or married, who are unable to have children for health reasons. The bill received 176 votes in favor,76 against, and 31 abstentions. While several members of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ centre-right party did not support the bill, it garnered enough support from the leftist opposition to pass. Greece is the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage. The legalization of same-sex marriage is a divisive issue in Greece with especially strong opposition from the Orthodox Church.

Sources: Greek parliament, Reuters, Balkan Insight, Ekathimerini (1), Ekathimerini (2)