Corruption remains a major concern in Greece, with a series of high-profile scandals in 2025 dominating public attention and exposing systemic failures in governance and accountability.
High-profile 2025 corruption cases in Greece
Several high-profile cases, including those below, have shaken Greece in 2025, ranging from large-scale financial fraud to organized crime, highlighting ongoing challenges in governance and law enforcement.
EU farming subsidies fraud, a high-profile case of corruption in Greece
This scandal involves the fraudulent claiming of EU agricultural subsidies. Greek authorities estimate at least €23 million was illegally obtained. The EU has already imposed a €392 million fine on Greece for mismanagement of these funds, and the scandal has led to the resignation of several high-ranking government officials.
In July, the Parliament voted to establish a commission to investigate the scandal and the agricultural subsidies over a period of 25 years. Opposition parties unanimously denounced the government, saying its proposal amounted to a whitewash that ignored the voluminous case file submitted by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and which concerned solely the years 2019-22, that is, the first three years of the current conservative government.
The Crete organized crime ring
A criminal ring on the island of Crete, which included military and police officers, was dismantled by authorities. The group was involved in various illicit activities, including drug and gun trafficking, extortion, and money laundering. Police have arrested 48 people, 16 of whom were already in prison for drug trafficking and arms smuggling.
It was also revealed that former defense minister Panos Kammenos spoke on the phone with one of the arrested ring leaders. In the wiretapped conversation, recorded by police as part of surveillance into the network’s activities, the alleged ringleader urged Kammenos to promote a specific archimandrite to the Metropolis of Kydonia. The same man claimed that the archimandrite’s promotion depended on US authorities, to which Kammenos replied, “I’ll take care of it.”
In an interview with Skai on Tuesday, the former minister denied claims that he had assisted the alleged leader, saying, “I neither spoke with the archimandrite, nor did I help him, nor did I ever pick up the phone again.”
He did, however, acknowledge that the individual, an acquaintance from his years in New Democracy, had asked him to intervene during a phone call.
Money laundering through betting
A probe by the Independent Authority Against Money Laundering is ongoing, targeting about 200 individuals, including Greek officials. These suspects allegedly used licensed gambling operators as a way to launder millions of euros in undeclared funds, disguised as legitimate winnings.
What has shocked investigators is the profile of many of the suspects. Among them are high-ranking civil servants, including directors within ministries and public services.
Rhodes building permit scheme, another case of corruption in Greece
An internal police investigation uncovered a corruption ring within the urban planning office in Rhodes. Officials were allegedly accepting bribes ranging from €5,000 to €30,000 from hotel owners and investors.
They manipulated old building permits by falsifying documents and using outdated seals to approve projects that did not meet legal requirements. Seven people have been arrested, and police seized €387,100 in cash from one of the suspects.
Tempi railway disaster
The Tempi rail tragedy of 2023 could have been prevented if EU-funded safety projects had been completed on time and to standard, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi recently said, renewing her criticism of systemic corruption in Europe.
She warned that financial crimes can have deadly consequences, citing the 57 lives lost in the crash. “How many more tragedies must we live through before we finally realize that financial crimes are not petty offenses?” Kövesi asked. Discussing the human cost of corruption, she used the Tempi crash to highlight the need for timely and properly executed safety projects.
Greece has shown no improvement in its corruption perception, maintaining 59th place out of 180 countries, according to the latest Transparency International report on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The organization looked at 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Greece has a score below passing levels at 49.
Mitsotakis set to announce tax cuts
In response to these scandals, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to announce a new round of tax cuts at the annual Thessaloniki International Fair. The proposed €1.5 billion package is aimed at providing relief to the middle class and families.
The measures may include changes to income tax brackets, increased tax allowances for families with children, and initiatives to address the housing crisis. The government’s plan is to use revenues from its successful crackdown on tax evasion to fund these permanent tax reductions.
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