A fierce counterattack has been launched by former minister of Rural Development, Spilios Livanos, responding to the criticisms of opposition parties on the issue of OPEKEPE.
Mr. Livanos blamed PASOK, Syriza and New Left for “a populist contest“, stressing that they are attempting to create micropolitical noise based on unsubstantiated data and fragmentary reports.
The former minister defended his work, noting that during his 13-month tenure, having the full support of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he made cuts that dismantled chronic pathologies and exposed the real scandal in OPEKEPE.
According to him, the interventions of that period led to the return of some 70 million euros of illegal subsidies to state coffers, amounts which were subsequently paid to legitimate producers.
The clash with vested interests, however, came at a personal cost. Livanos revealed the depth of the confrontation with the fund embezzlers, stating: “I openly confronted the embezzlers of European funds and they put a bounty on my head.”
In conclusion, Spilios Livanos called on the opposition to stop the inaccurate equation of right and wrong, warning that such tactics ultimately harm the farming world itself.
At the same time, he said he was ready to analyse at every level the 2021 strategy, which he insisted has acted as a shield for legitimacy and transparency.
