Critical issues regarding the tragic accident in Tempi were highlighted, during his visit to Thessaloniki, by President of PASOK-Movement for Change Nikos Androulakis. Regarding contract 717 of 2014 for remote control, he emphasized that it is not possible for it to remain incomplete after nine years, when it was supposed to be completed in two, to have received seven extensions, to have gone from 41 million to 54 million euros and that all these gentlemen remain in their positions, that the prosecutor has not moved, while the National Transparency Authority has pointed it out.

“And who illegally allowed the transfer of a person who exceeded the age limit of 48 years, as stipulated by the law, Mr. Voridis that you are talking about a legal transfer?” asked Mr. Androulakis. “Some want a state – booty. To do their little tricks, to give the projects to friendly companies, to control no one – no one, impunity and when something tragic happens that wears them out politically, they throw out a communicative “sorry”. And what is the next day? Did I not accept Mr. Mitsotakis’ apology for the wiretapping? What is the next day? Did we find out who sent me the message? Did we find out which company was behind the traps?”, he pointed out. He commented that the Railway Regulatory Authority has failed miserably, as has the privatization of TRAINOSE to the Italian company. “There has to be a strategic investor coming in who will be evaluated for the investment,” he said.

Failure of a staff state

“The worst thing that can happen in the country is to unfortunately have rulers who do not want to change the country. They don’t want to build a state of meritocracy and high-level services, because they simply don’t want to change their mentality and perception of politics. If we consider that yesterday is worthlessness, bribery and impunity, what of all of these does the citizen not face today? The citizen, unfortunately, sees that after the memorandum that drove thousands of Greek children abroad and caused huge inequalities, lost opportunities and impoverishment of a large part of the Greek people, some continue the same practices that led us to bankruptcy. The curtain was pulled from the so-called “staff state” and it turned out to be one of the same,” stressed Nikos Androulakis.

Regarding the argument about long-term causes, Mr. Androulakis noted that the easiest way for politicians to avoid taking on their responsibilities is to diffuse them into the distant past. “When you throw a pall on the platform with the claim that ‘everyone is to blame’ and there is a feeling of impunity, then manufacturers and politicians will say ‘come on, okay if my shift goes wrong, it’s okay.’ No! It is not wrong to have more than 100 dead in Mati or 57 dead in Tempi and no one apologize to the people.” sick leave two days after the accident in Tempi by a doctor and until recently a candidate with the PASOK-Movement of Change. “However, when my political opponents do not respect the special courts and instead of sending them home, they reward them with nominations or say “you have a political responsibility but I will take you down again”, unfortunately this is a contempt for the new political ethos that our country needs ” write down.

Recovery Fund

Mr. Androulakis pointed out that in an era of energy crisis when all European states are investing in trains to limit emissions, the government, while it had 32 billion euros from the Recovery Fund, instead of investing in trains, did not even ensure transport safety .« I cannot see, all over Greece, from the most uncritical islands to Athens and Thessaloniki, young children indignant. Why are these children resentful? They wonder: What do we have? What is our future? Do we have a good education? Are we in good health? Do we have cheap rents? Do we have good transport? What do these children have for their future? And what do we all do?” he asked, stressing that this indignation should not be used as a tool by some, as they did in the past, “but let us respond with solutions, with proposals, with a change of page that the country needs. With a state – which I say again – it will not be a tool of bribery, indignity and impunity for the current ruler. But it will be a weapon that will defend the weakest Greek and guarantee a social contract of perspective, especially for the next generations.”

Post-election partnerships

Mr. Androulakis clarified that a cooperative government does not mean that three people sit at a table and hand out ministries to the elected and their friends. “Collaborative governments are a barrier to the arrogance of the powerful. There are counterweights and a Prime Minister cannot do whatever he wants with his cronies”, he said, adding that “to change the country, it needs a European approach to the institutions. Respect for Justice, respect for institutions and above all respect for the person and the citizen. I represent a change that has the person and the citizen at the center”. He emphasized that he will not put water in his wine, “because my wine is not sour as it is of the two that have been judged, four and a half years one and four years the other. He has soured their wine. It is the wine that leads a country to be steeped in the past and in disrepute, while it can become a strong country where its people will live with prosperity, dignity and perspective”.

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