ATHENS — A criminal investigation has been launched against Greek far-right MEP and party leader Afroditi Latinopoulou over allegations that the party’s founding declaration contains forged signatures.

Greece’s Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis said on Tuesday, during a speech to parliament, that a case file against the leader of the Voice of Reason party was opened in Jan. 2025 and is currently under review by a prosecutor.

According to Floridis, the investigation is seeking to verify the authenticity of signatures on the party’s founding declaration. Copies of the document, including the suspected forgeries, have been forwarded from the Supreme Court to the Interior Ministry, which oversees elections and political parties.

Under Greek law, political parties must gather at least 200 signatures from citizens with voting rights to participate in elections. It is alleged that some of these were fake.

“These are absurdities stemming from fear of the rise of our political party and originating from attacks by a political opponent, who is known for his vulgarity in Greece,” an official from the party said.

Latinopoulou was kicked out of the ruling New Democracy party in 2022 after body-shaming a television presenter. She decried the decision, blaming it on “woke culture.” She then founded the Voice of Reason party in 2023 and won a seat in the European Parliament.

The party is described as a modern patriotic movement dedicated to preserving Greek identity and values, summed up under the slogan “Fatherland, Religion, Family.”

Latinopoulou identifies with the policies of other female leaders in the far right, such as French politician Marine Le Pen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. She has an anti-abortion and anti-immigration platform and wants to ban members of the LGBTQ+ community from working in the education system.