“Citizens are disillusioned. The growing crisis of trust in institutions is evident as the distinction between executive power and the judiciary continues to erode, especially in cases like the Tempe tragedy,” said Nikos Androulakis, the leader of the main opposition party Pasok.
“This is what in history we call a breakthrough,” New Left leader Alexis Charitsis said. “The social front has shaken the whole country.”
The head-on collision of a freight train and a passenger train packed with students took place just before midnight on Feb. 28, 2023. Almost two years later, a trial is yet to start and keeps getting pushed back by delays in key parts of the investigation.
Greece’s ruling New Democracy government failed to heed a call from the European public prosecutor to take action regarding the potential criminal liability of two former transport ministers following the train crash.
The government, which was reelected after the railway tragedy, denies the accusations.
The latest call for answers comes after audio evidence leaked last week indicated that some 30 of the 57 victims of the tragedy were still alive after the crash and died later, possibly as a result of asphyxiation or burns, as the collision caused a massive explosion and fire.
