The train tragedy that cost the lives of at least 57 people – mainly youngsters and students – will likely change the Greek ruling New Democracy party’s plans for the next elections scheduled for 9 April.
Meanwhile, young people protested in Greek cities calling for justice in the case under the slogan “text me when you arrive”, while police were criticised for using tear gas against them.
Greek press reports suggest that the tragedy will have huge political costs for conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the planned election date of 9 April as it will coincide with the 40-day memorial ceremony for the victims.
Sources in Athens suggest that different scenarios are currently being discussed, but nothing has been decided yet. The government will have to hold elections by July, and second rounds of votes are expected to take place as a new electoral law will apply.
New Democracy (EPP) has so far been leading all polls. But the train tragedy is expected to have a considerable electoral impact.
A late apology and an ‘illegal’ recruitment
Following fierce criticism of a previous statement attributing the tragedy “mainly to a human error”, Mitsotakis ultimately “apologised” on Sunday in a message on Facebook.
“I apologise personally but also in the name of all those who have governed the country for years because, indeed, in the Greece in 2023, it is impossible for two trains to move in opposite directions on the same line, and no one has noticed”, he said.
He also vowed to present new railway safety measures soon and seek EU funds to modernise the country’s rail system.
“His apology was late by five days”, the main opposition Syriza party (EU Left) said in a statement, adding that even at this tragic moment, the prime minister attempted to shrug off his responsibilities to previous governments.
It was not only the Greek prime minister who apologised for the tragedy but also the journalists.
In a statement, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers apologised for not covering properly the warnings of railways workers and promised to change their attitude in the future.
“The tragedy highlights, in a most painful way this time, the structural problems that plague the Greek media”, the association said.
According to the World Press Freedom index for 2022, Greece got the worst ranking for an EU member.
Meanwhile, the stationmaster, who allegedly made the mistake leading to the deadliest rail crash, was charged and taken into custody on Sunday.
The 59-year-old man is faced with the criminal charge of traffic safety disturbance, carrying a penalty of up to life imprisonment.
However, the Syriza party revealed documents claiming that the stationmaster was illegally hired in this position in the first place.
The documents suggest that the age limit for his vacancy was 48 years, and he was beyond that age when he was hired.
“The only thing left for the government to answer to the Greek people is which political-governmental factor pushed and imposed the illegal hiring of the stationmaster”, the opposition said in a statement.
Meanwhile, EURACTIV revealed on Friday that the EU prosecutor had launched an investigation into a contract for the upgrade of the signalling system on Greek trains and remote control. Had it been functional and in place, such a tragedy could have been avoided.
EU prosecutor investigates contract related to Greek train tragedy
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) recently launched an investigation over a contract about the upgrade of Greek trains’ signaling system and remote control, which if it was functional, a tragedy killing more than 50 people could have been avoided.
‘Text me when you arrive.’
As politicians are bickering over who is to blame, anger grows in Greek society.
Thousands of young people took to the streets of the country’s bigger cities over the weekend, demanding justice in the case.
Anger grew further when the media reported that the police attacked young demonstrators on Sunday with tear gas in the centre of Athens.
Their main slogan was “Text me when you arrive”, referring to a text message sent from a parent to a student who never reached the destination.
Social media was flooded with messages against the government. One message from a parent on social media reads:
“Those young people we did not send abroad, got on the train to go study. Those who survived went to protest about those who died and they used violence against them”.
A tragic irony
A couple of weeks ago, Kostas Karamanlis who resigned as a transport minister after the accident, had guaranteed the Greek railways’ safety.
Replying to a question by the opposition about trains’ safety, he replied:
“It’s a shame that you’re raising safety issues and I’d like you to retract immediately […] we ensure safety”.
Moreover, Greek media published documents submitted by the train workers’ association to the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) months before the tragedy, warning about the safety gaps and the risk of an accident.
OSE replied with a legal notice emphasising that the accusations were “groundless”.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
