Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis began Wednesday's cabinet meeting with a comment unrelated to the meeting's agenda, regarding the upcoming anniversary of the deadly train collision in Tempi two years earlier:
"A comment that concerns current affairs as we are coming up to two years since the tragedy of Tempi. A national tragedy which must unite our society behind a common demand. The demand for truth and justice. At the same time, however, also a demand to confront the mistakes, delays, the state mechanism, the problems that were unfortunately highlighted in the most tragic way on the night of February 28, 2023.
The day after tomorrow, many of our fellow citizens will be in the squares of our country to honour the memory of the victims. To send the self-evident message that the truth must shine forth and the guilty be punished, to demand of the state - justifiably - good and safe public transport. There will surely also be some who will protest against the government. The state, however, has an obligation to ensure that whoever so wishes can exercise their right to freedom of expression - and the police, minister, will be there to protect those participating and their constitutional right to peacefully assemble. It is a responsible stance, which we also expect of the organisers and participants in the demonstrations.
It is also true, however, that some wish to turn this collective grief into an opportunity for a new divide. To use the pain as a lever for their own ends and to reduce the anguish over a tragic accident to a cheap party slogan. I insist on this, as there is now clearly an attempt by specific circles to convert this climate of emotion into a climate of political destabilisation," Mitsotakis said.
According to the prime minister, the dissemination of "vulgar messages" on the internet had "exceeded all limits" and he noted that some of the opposition were even talking of a "government of murderers" or adopting provocative slogans calling for the overthrow of the government.
"We have an obligation to prevent the questioning of internal stability and normality in our country. Even more so in a world experiencing huge, I would say tectonic, disruptions," he added, noting that the country had paid dearly for such divisive phenomena and extreme rhetoric in the past.
"Anyone envisioning the day after tomorrow as a milestone for violent overthrows will find us opposed. The majority of Greeks today want the truth to be revealed, for justice to be done, so that we never again live through a similar tragedy. They do not want to slide in the midst of this uncertain international reality into an environment of prolonged instability," Mitsotakis said.
He noted that in a few days time, the government will be in the Parliament and the parties will be asked to present any alternative positions they may have, at which time the opposition was free to table a motion of no confidence.
"We will be there. The parliamentary system, in any case, has its own rules. One thing is certain: there are no impasses in a democracy..." the prime minister said.
He concluded by noting that the government's job is to unite Greece and ended with a reference to the tragic fire in Mati, saying that the accident in Tempi should also become a catalyst for Greece to finally acquire modern trains, just the fire in Mati was the start of building an effective civil protection.
"I think that is the best way to truly honour the memory of our 57 fellow citizens," he said.
Ακολουθήστε το Business Daily στο Google news
