Greece’s main opposition party, PASOK-KINAL, will submit a censure motion against the government next Wednesday, its leader Nikos Androulakis announced on Thursday.
The party accused the government of failing to address the safety gaps that led to the country’s worst train tragedy in February 2023 and attempting to cover up political responsibilities.
SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Sokratis Famellos confirmed that his party, the third largest in the Hellenic Parliament, would support the motion. Discussions are also underway with other opposition parties to join the initiative.
However, the ruling conservative New Democracy party holds a comfortable majority in parliament. Government spokesperson Vangelis Marinakis dismissed the accusations and ruled out the possibility of snap general elections.
The censure motion was announced shortly after the National Aviation and Railway Accidents Investigation Organization released a report highlighting systemic failures and oversights in Greece’s railway operations.
The report attributed the Tempi train collision, which claimed 57 lives, to chronic shortcomings in infrastructure, maintenance, safety mechanisms, and human error. The accident involved a passenger train and a freight train that collided in Tempi.