The OPEKEPE case is evolving into a life-and-death ordeal for the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office playing a pivotal role in upcoming developments regarding the future of the indicted MPs, those who will be investigated for the years 2023-2024, and, of course, the government structure itself. Despite estimates from the government camp regarding a rapid processing of procedures, everything indicates that the European prosecutors will move according to their own institutional rhythms, without taking into account the Prime Minister's electoral timetables.
The process already underway, involving the lifting of immunity for MPs and the activation of criminal investigations, inherently requires time. Legal circles point out that even under conditions of acceleration, the full maturation of these cases is unlikely to coincide with the government's potential electoral goals. This creates an environment of prolonged uncertainty, in which the political cost may increase gradually.
Uncertainty over whether MPs will run in elections again
It is no coincidence that in his address, the Prime Minister hurried to send a message to the European Public Prosecutor's Office that it must move quickly and press charges against the MPs it deems to have committed criminal acts, so that the process can also be initiated by the domestic Prosecutor's Office. As they say, there is a risk that despite the lifting of immunity, the Prosecutor's timelines may be such that we reach election time—namely the spring of 2027—without a single final decision having been reached for the 11 MPs. This means that, as defendants, they would be unable to run in the elections on the ND ballots.
EPPO operates on its own time and laws—a fact feared by Maximos Mansion
The most critical element, however, is the ability of the European Public Prosecutor to return with new data at any moment. Every new revelation or expansion of the indictment can reignite public debate and directly affect the political climate. We have already seen that the Alco poll brings ND nearly 2 percentage points lower than the previous measurement, which means the new EPPO case file caused damage… In a period where polls record fragile balances, such developments could act as a catalyst for the government's erosion.
And let us not forget that it is not just the OPEKEPE issue and the new EPPO case files. There is the wiretapping scandal, the debate in Parliament regarding the Rule of Law, where PASOK intends to use it as a springboard to file a motion of no confidence against the Mitsotakis government. And, of course, there is the Tempi trial which further sensitizes citizens, alongside the unstable economic climate due to Iran.
Under these facts, the OPEKEPE scandal is not just another case to be investigated, but a factor with destabilizing dynamics against New Democracy. The independence and persistence of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office are unpredictable factors for the Maximos Mansion; or as MPs and political figures put it, "the European Prosecutor’s Office and Popi Papandreou have brought Mitsotakis to his knees" because they cannot be fitted into the molds of Greek power.
Sotiris Pikoulas
sotirispikoulas@gmail.com
www.bankingnews.gr
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