Eurotopics.net

Millions of euros in EU agricultural subsidies are said to have been illegally siphoned off in Greece. The EU Public Prosecutor's Office speaks of an 'organised fraud scheme' which involved the Greek state subsidy agency OPEKEPE. Migration Minister Makis Voridis, who was agriculture minister during the period in question, and three state secretaries resigned on Friday. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced new control mechanisms and a zero-tolerance policy towards clientelism.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Serbian capital Belgrade again on Saturday to protest Aleksandar Vučić's government and demand early parliamentary elections. Violent clashes between police and demonstrators ensued. The protests have gone on for eight months and were triggered by the tragedy at the railway station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024 in which 16 people died.

According to the organisers nearly 200,000 people took part in this year's Budapest Pride – far more than in previous marches. Around 70 MEPs also joined the ranks of those demonstrating for LGBTQ rights. Budapest's mayor had framed the event as a municipal 'freedom festival' to foil the Orbán government's attempts to ban it. Commentators shed light on various aspects.