The Greek prime minister has vowed to tackle what he has called a “deep state” he says is plaguing the country, as he sought to address a growing political crisis over a farm fraud scandal that has forced the resignation of multiple government ministers.
Not which govt scandal, not which Greek govt scandal, but which Greek govt farm subsidies from the EU scandal? This the one where payments were being made for olive groves 5 miles out in the Gulf of Corinth, that Greek govt scandal about EU farm subsidies?
False claims allegedly involved banana plantations on Mount Olympus, olive groves on military air force installations and archaeological sites being cited as grazing land for livestock.
Could actually be that one, yes.
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The one thing that the EU actually does efficiently it seems is syphoning taxpayer’s money into the pockets of crooks. I imagine that this case is just the tip of the iceberg given that any checks on this kind of thing are being done by a huge and cumbersome bureaucracy.
Expecting the Greeks not to be corrupt or involved in a scam is like asking the Sun not to rise.
They did not learn their lesson, when their economy collapsed a few years ago, after cooking the books, so why should they worry about Mr Polyphemus and his sheep ?
and archaeological sites being cited as grazing land for livestock.
It’s a long time since I was there but not only is Greece full of archaeological sites most are just derelict ruins where there seemed to be no problems with animals and humans wandering around. Animals grazing may be a good way of keeping the bonds under control
Google tells me around one third of the EU budget goes in the CAP. With that much dosh floating around of course it attracts criminals.
The fact that the EU is so corrupt and badly run just make sit easier for them.
You could argue up that fraction. The EU also provides ‘rural support’ which is incident on the same kind of recipients and then marketing support to promote European wines in Asia for example.
Then there’s the Customs Union whose primary feature is to protect EU farmland owners from major competition – I know there’s tiny tariff free imports permitted from the lowest income small countries.
So minimum one third of what EU does in fiscal and regulation terms. Imv.