Recent reports from Proto Thema have linked several individuals affiliated with PASOK to irregularities related to agricultural subsidies issued through OPEKEPE. The revelations have prompted internal reactions within the party and public responses from both PASOK and the individuals involved.

Developments and Resignations

Following the report, Lambros Antonopoulos, Secretary of PASOK’s Heraklion Prefectural Committee and a close associate of party president Nikos Androulakis, resigned from his position. He also returned a €15,667 subsidy he received in 2020, citing personal reasons of propriety.

Stavros Tzedakis, Deputy Regional Governor of Agricultural Economy in Crete and a member of PASOK’s Central Committee, has also come under scrutiny. According to subsidy records, he received payments between 2018 and 2021 for pasture land located outside of Crete. Tzedakis has stated that these declarations were made under the “technical solution” provided by ministerial decisions, which allow for the automatic allocation of communal pasture land through the system.

Another individual, Yannis Kyriakakis, who was previously Secretary of PASOK’s Phaistos municipal organization, is reportedly under investigation for submitting subsidy applications using falsified documentation and is also allegedly involved in a separate case related to illegal weapons possession. Kyriakakis has since resigned from the party.

PASOK’s Official Position

PASOK issued a formal statement responding to the reports. The party criticized Proto Thema for what it described as an unfounded and politically motivated publication. It clarified that individuals without institutional roles within PASOK do not represent the party, and reiterated that the “technical solution” used in subsidy declarations is a standard legal mechanism available to all eligible farmers.

The statement also called on the government to allow the judicial process to proceed unhindered and accused it of using the case to deflect from its own political responsibilities.

Response from Stavros Tzedakis

In a public statement, Stavros Tzedakis defended the legality of his subsidy applications. He stated that all properties he declared are located near his home village in Rethymno, and that any additional locations shown in the system were automatically allocated under the “technical solution.” He emphasized that local regional authorities, such as his own office, have no role in allocating pasture land or approving subsidy rights.

Background

The OPEKEPE case concerns irregularities in the allocation of EU agricultural subsidies, specifically in how pasture land is declared for eligibility. The issue has prompted political debate over whether a preliminary investigation or a parliamentary inquiry should be conducted.