Greek Govt Attempts ‘Restart’ Amid Outcry Over Train Crash
Source: Balkan Insight
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his government on Friday, attempting to launch a restart in the shadow of widespread protests over how his centre-right government has handled the Tempi train crash issue.
Mass protests over the crash that cost 57 lives in 2023, the upcoming start of a parliamentary investigation into a former deputy minister for alleged wrongdoing related to the crash, a no-confidence motion filed by opposition parties last week and recent negative ratings in opinion polls have prompted Mitsotakis to change his cabinet line-up.
In an opinion poll conducted by TV Channel STAR and GPO, a pollster, presented on March 5, 85 per cent of respondents said they hold the government “responsible” for the Tempi accident and 71.9 per said they believe the government is trying to “cover up” the truth about the train crash.
Only 21.7 per cent of respondents said they believe the government is trying to “shed light on the case”.
A new poll published on March 13 meanwhile put Pleusi Eleftherias, chaired by Zoe Konstantopoulou, a former member of the leftist SYRIZA party, on 15.2 per cent, with a difference of only 10.6 percentage points from the ruling New Democracy government.
Mitsotakis has changed the heads of eight ministries out of 20, affecting the Ministries of Migration and Asylum, Economy and Finance, Infrastructure and Transport Environment and Energy, Maritime and Insular Policy, Social Cohesion and the Family, Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Four ministers and 12 deputy ministers have left the cabinet while 14 newcomers have entered, mostly in their 30s and 40s.
According to media reports, Mitsotakis intends to go into the 2027 parliamentary elections with this government formation. His goal meanwhile is to proceed smoothly with social changes, such as salary and pension rises and overall improvements to the daily life of citizens who are fighting to make ends meet.
Opposition parties said they doubted the changes would rescue the embattled government. “The Prime Minister’s strategic impasse is clearly demonstrated by the reshuffle,” commented Kostas Tsoukalas, spokesperson of the centre-left PASOK party.
The swearing-in of the new cabinet will take place on Saturday.
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
