The Prime Minister’s Office has adopted a two-pronged strategy in its handling of the OPEKEPE case following the archiving of nine investigations and the misdemeanour prosecutions brought against four New Democracy MPs.

On one front, it is placing the handling of the case by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) squarely under scrutiny, questioning its impact on Greece’s domestic political confrontation.

On the other, it is sending a clear message ahead of the next general election: Kostas Skrekas, Christos Boukoros, Maximos Senetakis and Katerina Papakosta will remain on New Democracy’s election lists.

Maximos Mansion has now gone on the offensive, calling on the opposition—particularly PASOK—to apologise for repeatedly describing the administration as a “government of the accused”.

Mitsotakis’ pointed criticism

The tone was set by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a meeting of the Government Council for Economic Policy. Rather than limiting his criticism to the opposition, he also directly targeted the European Public Prosecutor’s Office for the first time.

“The European Public Prosecutor’s Office appeared to become involved in internal party rivalry,” the Prime Minister said in a strongly worded remark, before asking, with his criticism aimed at the opposition: “Who is going to apologise today for those disgraceful accusations?”

Mr Mitsotakis recalled that he had requested the resignations of three ministers on grounds of political sensitivity and insisted that the latest developments had fundamentally changed the picture.

“With the announcement by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the true scale of the OPEKEPE case and the full truth have come to light,” he said.

The government, however, does not dispute the EPPO’s authority to investigate any suspicion of wrongdoing. It is now openly questioning the way in which the Office’s handling of the investigation fuelled the political confrontation, leaving ministers and MPs exposed for months before the majority of the cases were ultimately archived.

Hatzidakis: They must understand the consequences

Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis reinforced the Prime Minister’s position, making it clear that the criticism of the EPPO was not an off-the-cuff remark.

“When dealing with matters that create public impressions and have the potential to affect public life, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has a duty to exercise caution,” he told One TV.

“No one is asking for any unlawful conduct to be covered up. But those carrying out investigations must also understand what they are doing and the consequences of their actions,” he added.

He said those consequences affect not only the personal dignity and families of those under investigation, but also the country’s political life.

The Deputy Prime Minister also referred to the financial amounts linked to the four cases. According to him, the estimated total damage in relation to the three MPs amounts to €7,200, while no financial loss has been identified in the fourth case.

He then turned his attention to the opposition.

“The entire opposition kept saying we were a government of the accused. Couldn’t we, in turn, say they are an opposition of the accused? We do not do so because we are not like them.”

Green light for the four MPs

Behind the sharp political confrontation also lies a clear electoral decision. The four MPs continue to be fully included in New Democracy’s electoral planning.

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis publicly confirmed the decision. Asked whether the four could stand again as parliamentary candidates, he replied without hesitation: “There is no reason why they should not,” citing the presumption of innocence.

With that statement, Maximos Mansion made clear that prosecution for misdemeanour offences does not automatically lead to political exclusion. While the final decision rests with the Prime Minister, the government’s current position leaves little room for ambiguity.

The announcement carries added significance as New Democracy headquarters on Piraeus Street is already finalising its first major wave of new parliamentary candidates. The four MPs are not being treated as names to be removed from the party’s electoral lists.

Attention turns to Kostas Ach. Karamanlis

The situation is different in the case of Kostas Ach. Karamanlis. The New Democracy leadership would have preferred to include him once again on the party’s ballot in Serres, provided that he himself wished to contest another election.

However, the former Infrastructure Minister made it clear as early as April that he does not intend to stand in the next general election.

“Because politics is not an end in itself for me, I declare that I do not intend to be a candidate in the forthcoming elections,” he said at the time.

With proceedings relating to the Tempi case still pending before the Judicial Council, no one within the government believes he is likely to reverse that decision. Those close to him insist that he is a politician who does not go back on his public commitments, even if the New Democracy leadership would welcome his inclusion on the Serres ballot.

The Papakosta case

Katerina Papakosta’s case carries its own political significance.

On 6 April, when she requested the lifting of her parliamentary immunity, she stated that she would not stand in the next election if there continued to be what she described as “a shadow of criminal discredit” hanging over her.

On 16 July, following the decision to prosecute her on misdemeanour charges, she announced that she would stand as a candidate “whenever the next national elections are held”.

At the same time, she called for her case to be heard without delay, declaring herself innocent and expressing confidence that the judicial process would establish the truth.