Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitotakis’ government is a majority in Parliament and is expected to survive Friday’s vote.
The Greek opposition party filed a motion that sparked a vote of no confidence in the government over handling of the fatal 2023 train crash a few days after protesters halted the country to push demands for political accountability.
Hundreds of thousands of people took them to the streets across the country on Friday, marking the second anniversary of the crash, demanding justice from the victims. Fifty-seven people, mostly students, were killed in disasters.
Nikos Andrakis, the leader of the Socialist Pasok Party, said allegations had been filed against the government’s “criminal incompetent” on Wednesday.
Three left-wing parties supported the decision, including Siriza, the New Left and the Course of Freedom. Voting will take place on Friday.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis, whose government holds 156 of the 300 seats in Parliament and is expected to survive the move, said it would pose a threat to the country’s political stability.
“In this uncertain climate, we have an obligation to keep our country stable and safe,” Mitotakis told Congress.
He accused him of opposing the “storm” of misinformation.
“This wasn’t there [cover-up]Mitotakis called the claim “a colorful collection of myths, fantasies and lies.”
The railway collision occurred on February 28, 2023, when a train from Athens to Thessaloniki carried over 350 passengers and collided with a freight train near Larissa city.
The two trains were traveling miles towards each other on the same track without triggering alarms. The accident was blamed on broken equipment and human error.
Opposition parties said the government ignored repeated signs and warnings that Greek railways are prone to accidents due to underfunded funds.
The parents of the victims who crashed have criticized the government for not launching or supporting an investigation into political responsibility.
Last week, the Air Accident Investigation Agency (HARISA) reported that crashes were caused by chronic safety shortages that need to be addressed to prevent repetition.
On Tuesday, Congress voted to start an investigation into whether senior civil servant Christos Triantopoulos, who went to the scene of the crash after the accident, allowed the site to bulldoze and whether it lost any significant evidence.
Triantopoulos, who resigned on Tuesday, said he dismissed all claims and oversaw the relief efforts.
Despite the government’s rebuttal of the claims of cover-up, the country’s polls found that the majority of Greeks believe the government tried to hide the evidence.
So far, more than 40 people have been charged with the accident, including the chief of a local train station responsible for train routing, but no crash trial is expected by the end of the year.
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