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The Greek centre-right government (EPP) will face on Tuesday a no-confidence vote pushed forward by opposition parties following a press report suggesting that the conversations between train workers on the night of an accident that killed 57 people were distorted.
The no-confidence vote initiative was taken by the opposition Pan-Hellenic Socialist Party (Pasok) and was backed by other opposition parties.
The main opposition Syriza leader (EU Left), Stefanos Kasselakis, took a step further, calling on Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to resign and call snap elections with the presence of “international observers”.
Although the government has a strong majority and will likely survive the vote, analysts estimate that the three-day discussion that will follow will put many government officials to the test, as they will need to provide answers on the accident.
One year ago, an intercity passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided at high speed with a cargo train outside the city of Larissa in central Greece, killing 57 people, mainly young students.
Since then, the progress of the investigation has been slow, with opposition parties and the victims’ relatives suggesting that the government is trying to cover it up.
Meanwhile, the victims’ relatives have collected more than 1.3 million signatures for a petition to the European Parliament, which was recently submitted.
The petition calls on the EU to step in and investigate the accident and hold politicians – who are protected by immunity – accountable for criminal actions.
The EU lawmakers from all political groups in the European Parliament backed the petition, suggesting that the EU institutions should closely follow the investigation’s progress.
The government insists that there is no criminal responsibility, only political responsibility for ministers, claiming that those involved resigned back then.
But To Vima journal revealed new evidence on the accident causing a political earthquake in Athens over the weekend.
Notably, the press report suggested that the conversations between train workers at the night of the accident – that were made public right after the accident – were “distorted” to enhance the argument of the “human error”.
The government refuted the report branding it as “fake news” but has so far failed to provide specific answers on had access to the audio files of the train workers’ conversations.
Some government officials also attacked the AlterEgoMedia group – where the journal belongs – referring to “organised economic interests”, causing the media group’s angry reaction.
“The media of AlterEgoMedia will continue with persistence, patience, and professional competence to operate in a purely ethical context, against the government practices that have led the country to 107th place worldwide in terms of freedom of the press”, the group said in a statement.
AlterEgoMedia was the only media group that refused to accept state funds provided by the government during the pandemic.
EU prosecutor also under fire
Several analysts have said the accident could have been avoided if a 2014 contract for the reconstruction and upgrade of the signalling system and the remote control of the Athens-Thessaloniki-Promachona railway had been implemented.
The so-called “717 contract” has been scrutinized by EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi, who recently said the Greek authorities are posing obstacles in her investigation.
“We are blocked from finding the truth and applying justice. Because if you are forbidden from doing the investigations, you cannot find out the truth”, Kövesi said.
Her statements triggered the reaction of Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis who described her intervention as “unacceptable” and going beyond the limit of her institutional role.
“If there is a procedure, even to question her post, we should do it”, he said.
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The post Greek government faces no confidence vote after new evidence on train accident revealed first appeared on Energy News Beat.
The post Greek government faces no confidence vote after new evidence on train accident revealed appeared first on Energy News Beat.
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