Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended members of his ruling New Democracy party facing scrutiny in the OPEKEPE case, while arguing that the work of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office should ultimately be assessed by the quality of the cases it brings before the courts.

Speaking at the close of a meeting of the parliamentary group of the governing party, Mitsotakis also addressed the ongoing constitutional revision process, urging New Democracy lawmakers to play an active role in the upcoming parliamentary debate.

He thanked MPs who participated in the constitutional review committee, saying their work had been undermined by what he described as the opposition’s limited engagement in the process. He also criticized the main opposition party, PASOK, accusing it of refusing to support the parliamentary majority needed to advance constitutional amendments despite agreeing with several of the proposed changes.

A significant part of the prime minister’s remarks focused on the OPEKEPE case, which concerns Greece’s agency responsible for administering European Union agricultural subsidies.

Mitsotakis thanked New Democracy lawmakers who spoke during the meeting, praising what he described as their dignity, honesty and, in some cases, emotional responses. He referred both to MPs whose cases were dismissed and to those who are expected to provide explanations before the courts.

Expressing support for party members, he said he hoped the case would be resolved quickly, adding that the government had no intention of covering up any illegal acts but maintained that the nature of the allegations differed from what had been suggested publicly.

The prime minister also called for stronger safeguards to improve transparency and accountability regarding lawmakers’ interactions with the public administration, saying such measures would allow MPs to perform their duties without raising doubts about their conduct.

Turning to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mitsotakis said the institution is now an integral part of the European legal framework and that “there is no turning back.” At the same time, he voiced concerns about how the specific cases had been handled.

“And prosecutors are judged by the outcome,” he said, arguing that their role is to bring fully substantiated cases to trial. According to the prime minister, developments in the OPEKEPE case suggest that this standard had not been met to the extent it should have been.