Greek govt survives another no-confidence vote triggered by train collision

Athens: A week after the second anniversary of Greece’s deadly train collision, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government once again withstood a no-confidence vote.

The vote came after three days of intense debate, with Opposition parties fiercely criticising the government’s handling of the 2023 rail disaster.

They accused the ruling administration of failing to address systemic issues in the railway sector and of not providing sufficient support to the victims’ families.

This marks the second time the government has faced a no-confidence motion over the incident.

On March 28, 2024, Opposition parties had also filed a similar motion, blaming the government for neglecting to reform the railway system. That motion was also defeated by the majority held by Mitsotakis’s New Democracy (ND) party in Parliament.

The tragic collision occurred on February 28, 2023, near Tempi, central Greece, killing 57 people and injuring dozens more.

The incident sparked widespread outrage and protests across the country, with public outcry focussing on the government’s failure to ensure railway safety and its inadequate disaster response, Xinhua news agency reported.

Four Opposition parties jointly presented the no-confidence motion on Wednesday, accusing the government of mishandling the investigation into the crash and failing to deliver promised reforms.

Opposition leaders took turns in Parliament, criticising the government’s lack of accountability and calling for those responsible to be held to full account.

Despite the strong opposition, the ruling ND party used its parliamentary majority to defeat the motion. Out of 300 Members of Parliament (MP), 293 participated in the roll-call vote, with 157 voting against the motion and 136 in favour.

All ND members voted in support of the government, while every Opposition MP voted in favour of the no-confidence motion.

In his closing remarks, Mitsotakis defended his government’s actions, emphasising measures taken to improve railway safety, such as introducing new technologies, enhancing staff training, and conducting a thorough investigation into the accident’s causes.

He reassured the public that the government remained committed to implementing reforms to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.

However, Mitsotakis’s speech did little to quell the anger of Opposition parties or the public. During the debate, five individuals with accreditation from the Nea Aristera (New Left) party disrupted the session by throwing leaflets and chanting slogans from the gallery.

Since the second anniversary of the tragedy last Friday, large-scale protests have been held across Greece and abroad, demanding accountability from the government and more effective reforms.

Clashes erupted in Athens and Thessaloniki on Friday night, with protesters throwing gasoline bombs and flares outside Parliament during the no-confidence debate, according to local media reports.

–IANS