Socialist PASOK leader, Nikos Androulakis has submitted a no-confidence vote in the Greek government, stating that it tried to cover up its responsibility in the catastrophic tempi train crash last year.
In tabling the motion, Androulakis accused the government of “systematically undermining the rule of law.”
Androulakis submitted the no-confidence motion on Tuesday, following a Sunday newspaper publication alleging that transcripts of talks between the station manager and the train driver given to the media in the aftermath of the incident had been significantly edited.
“In every scandal, in every government failure, you make the political choice to hide the truth, instead of taking the difficult road of responsibility,” Androulakis said in parliament as he submitted the motion.
The vote on the motion of no confidence is usually taken immediately after the debate, although it can be postponed for 48 hours at the government’s request.
According to Ekathimerini, the crash in the Tempi area of central Greece occurred on the night of February 28, 2023, when a passenger train smashed into an oncoming cargo train put onto the same track and heading in opposite directions; it was Greece’s deadliest railway disaster. Many of the 57 people killed were university students heading back to class after a public holiday.
Government officials denied on Tuesday that they were responsible for the leaks and branded the parliamentary resolution as a political stunt.
Source: Ekathimerini