Greek Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Makarios Lazaridis resigned on Saturday, following allegations that he was unqualified and had only been appointed because of his close ties to the ruling conservatives.
Lazaridis resigned just two weeks after being appointed in a cabinet reshuffle prompted by an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of European agricultural subsidies, which has sparked a major row.
In his letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is also from the New Democracy (ND) party, Lazaridis said he had “led a life of honesty” and “dignity”, which he did not want tarnished.
He added that he had repelled, with reasoned arguments and political dignity, the attacks of a toxic opposition, which relies on swearing and slander on an issue that, moreover, dates back some 20 years.
The EU prosecutor is investigating multiple issues in the Greek farm subsidies scandal
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The leftist opposition and the media recently revealed that Lazaridis, a 56-year-old MP, had also used his ND connections in 2007 to secure a position as an expert in the Ministry of Education, without having the proper university qualifications.
“How long will Mitsotakis continue to use his personal connections?” The main opposition Socialist party, PASOK, recently asked.
The resignation is the latest blow to the Mitsotakis government, which took office in 2019.
Two weeks ago, three government officials resigned, including the agriculture minister, after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity amid an investigation into fraud involving European agricultural subsidies paid to Greek farmers.
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