Former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos has defended payments he received from a non-governmental organization linked to Pier Antonio Panzeri, currently at the center of a corruption investigation. Avramopoulos stated the remuneration was fully approved by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and properly declared to Greek tax authorities. He attributed the renewed attention to the case to the alleged carelessness of Belgian police investigators. Avramopoulos firmly asserted his allegiance to the New Democracy party in Greece, dismissing the allegations as unfounded. The controversy centers around potential influence peddling within the European Parliament through the NGO. He maintains his actions were entirely legal and transparent, rejecting any implication of impropriety. This statement represents Avramopoulos’s first public response addressing the allegations directly.