Greece Dismissed EU's Request to Act Against Ex-Ministers Over Train Disaster

Greece's parliament declined action regarding EU prosecutor's concerns linked to the country's tragic train accident, which claimed 57 lives.

The Greek government chose not to heed the European Public Prosecutor's plea for legal measures against two former transport ministers implicated in a catastrophic train crash. The accident, which occurred last February, took the lives of 57 individuals, many of whom were students.

Protesters, angered by perceived high-level negligence and corruption, took to the streets in response to the fatal collision between a freight and a passenger train near Tempi.

Last month, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) charged 23 individuals, including 18 officials, for crimes connected to EU-funded rail traffic control systems.

The EPPO targeted two ex-ministers, alleging that Christos Spirtzis and Konstantinos Karamanlis committed breach of duty and misappropriation, respectively. Despite these allegations, the Greek government, leveraging its parliamentary majority, avoided setting up a probe by an investigative committee.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who initially blamed the crash on human error, faced criticism and claims of government responsibility concealment.

The EPPO suggested the Greek law, which allows only parliament to investigate former ministers, contradicts EU law and communicated this issue to the European Commission.

Konstantinos Karamanlis resigned post-crash, citing respect for the victims, and was later reelected. Christos Spirtzis, from the previous administration, was not reelected.

The EPPO referred the cases of Spirtzis and Karamanlis to the Greek Supreme Court, but Parliament decided against establishing an inquiry committee.

Spirtzis desired an investigation to clear his name but claimed his request was not supported. Karamanlis, asserting his resignation's morality, also opposed the investigative committee.

Greece's government and parliamentary speaker did not respond to comments on the situation.

Amidst criticism of a cover-up, Parliament is conducting a broad inquiry into the Tempi crash that includes a historical review of the Greek railway system. However, the inquiry's focus shift and lack of cross-party oversight have come under fire.

Relatives of the deceased driver have accused committee representatives of attempting to pin the blame on him. Bereaved parent Maria Karystianou lamented the lack of a proper court testimony and the insufficiency of parliament's capabilities to handle the case.