He accused Mr. Varoufakis of unprecedented irresponsibility Minister of Citizen Protection Mr. Takis Theodorikakos, in an interview with Action24, pointing out that the Secretary of “Day 25”, attempted to prejudice the police investigations by attributing the attack to thugs of the night, even though they have been identified as coming from the anti-authoritarian space, in an attempt to turn the attack into a political one show, maybe he will enter the Parliament.

Referring to the accident in Tempi, he described the youth demonstrations, which he said do not scare him and are an opportunity to strengthen the dialogue with them, as justified. He pointed out that things change with hard work and creative work “after we find what’s wrong and fix it” and called the youths “to work together to make our state better”. At the same time, he estimated that eventually everything positive that has been done in the four years will be evaluated and the citizens will not take risks: “By overturning positive work you do not move forward. It is important to improve mistakes and weaknesses to be able to move forward and create a better tomorrow”he said, adding that the Greeks now have the knowledge and experience and when the time for elections comes they will make the right decisions for the security and future of Greece.

On the question of responsibilities, the Minister emphasized that the government bravely assumed its own political responsibilities, noting that he does not remember a minister resigning in the past after a tragedy.

Commenting on the attitude of the Opposition, he said that it is characterized by ostrichism, while referring to the statement of Mr. Spirtzis that he was sleeping peacefully with what he had done as Minister of Transport, he recalled that during his days as Minister, five people had been killed in a railway accident and raised the question: “From how many deaths can a minister not sleep?”

Mr. Theodorikakos emphasized that the government must speed up its efforts and do what is necessary to rebuild the state and especially the railways, noting that efforts were made but did not bring the results they should and that there must be more drastic measures decisions.

In response to a question about youth crime, Mr. Theodorikakos said that the phenomenon is troubling Greek society and noted that the family, the school and the local government should focus on creating outlets for young people.

Asked about the policing in Attica, he said that patrols in Lekanopedio have increased by 70, pointing out the decrease in medium and low crime by 20%-25% compared to the period 2015-2019.

Regarding the Evros Fence, he said that within the month, work will likely begin on the construction of the additional 35 kilometers that have been auctioned, with the aim of completing their construction in the next 10 months. He also emphasized that the government’s first priority is the security of our borders and that it is the government’s decision to complete the construction of the Fence along the entire border.

Key interview points

For Yannis Varoufakis

I am sorry to say that Mr. Varoufakis continues to behave with unprecedented irresponsibility, which is not allowed, not for a political leader, not for an ordinary citizen. You will tell me that Mr. Varoufakis is the man who, as Minister of Finance, did everything to make Greece lose more than 100 billion euros, and it doesn’t seem, no sorry, that he asked the Greek people, but he pretends that he didn’t understand it afterwards since so many years.

He went out that night, while he knows very well who has beaten him – because this is evident from the very videos that are there – and he said the next morning that he was beaten by some people of the night. And then he accused the Minister of Citizen Protection of prejudicing the police and the judiciary. But he himself is lying about who hit him. He goes to prejudge things, creates publicity. Mr. Varoufakis in principle has a police escort which he chose not to have with him. You realize that if he had the policemen with him that the state has sent to guard him, to watch over him, nothing would have happened. Second, people who for some reasons they have in mind want to attack a politician can exist anywhere on earth. These are happening all over the world. I say this because the reality is that the Exarchia are not what they were some years ago. There is a much stronger police presence and a much better security situation. This is the truth and reality.

But the next thing I say about Mr. Varoufakis is that he did not want to assist the police investigations in the first hours of the incident. He did not allow his associates to testify so that the police would have an image and at the same time misinformed the public. These are not serious things. The Greek Police have already arrested one, they have identified several of the perpetrators of the attack on Mr. Varoufakis and have no doubt that they will arrest them within the next few days. ¨All that was said about the good guys of the night are the well-known fairy tales that Mr. Varoufakis serves with great ease. This is the reality. He even turned an unacceptable and trite attack on his person in a tavern in Exarchia into a political sou. Could this be the way he succeeds and enters the Parliament? This is the reality. In the videos that exist, they shout at him: “strike day, don’t even think of stepping here again”. For the first time, I see the good guys of the night having both an ideological understanding and a conscience about the strikes carried out by the workers. Let there be an end to the irresponsibility in this place. He should have cooperated from the beginning in the investigations of the Police, who have identified the perpetrators and will bring them to justice very soon. A little seriousness at last, for this absolutely reprehensible attack on Mr. Varoufakis.”

For Tragedy in Tempe:

What interests Greek society is that the responsibilities are fully assigned to those who exist… To the end, the responsibilities are assigned. When I say all, I mean all, not half. Certainly there is a political responsibility which, as far as our own government is concerned, was assumed from the first moment in the most gallant way. From the Prime Minister himself, from the Minister of Transport, Mr. Karamanlis, who resigned within a few hours. I don’t ever remember a politician resigning after such a tragedy, ever.

For Mr. Chr. Spirtzis

The day before yesterday, the official opposition representative who was the Minister of Infrastructure came out and told us that he had been sleeping soundly for four years. That the railways were fine during the four years under SYRIZA. They were bad before SYRIZA and they became bad again after SYRIZA. In this gentleman’s day five people had been killed in a railway accident. How many deaths and more can a Minister not sleep from? ND therefore bravely assumed the responsibilities, the political responsibilities for the condition of the railways and the role that this condition may have played in this tragic accident. Civil responsibility is one thing, criminal responsibility is another. Criminal responsibility will be examined by justice, it will distribute the responsibilities, it will send those who should to the courts. Political responsibility was assumed by the government, I don’t see the official opposition accepting its responsibilities. It has stuck its head in the sand like an ostrich and does not want to see its own heavy responsibility for the downfall of the Greek railways.

For the reconstruction of the railways

What is important for the Greek people and especially for the young people is that we urgently do everything necessary to rebuild our State and never have such stories anywhere again. Can someone tell me “why, Mr. Theodorikakos, should the citizens believe you now that you will properly reorganize the State and the railways?”. Because we did the right thing these four years in difficult times with other bad situations and proved that we know how to admit mistakes and correct them. Obviously something is not going to be done overnight firstly, secondly, efforts have been made in these four years but they have not brought the desired result, therefore efforts must be multiplied and perhaps in some specific areas become even more spectacular even more essential even more active this is our task. Not all are political expedients, not all are benefits and – incomprehensible – for politics. We have to prove to the Greeks that in these months, in the last months of this government term, we will do everything in our power to improve the situation very drastically and that none of us should be afraid to travel by rail, we have to do this and we are already on the trajectory that this is starting to take place, that is the reality, or if you want to be precise to accelerate efforts that were already planned.

For the demonstrations

I consider the reactions of Greek society and especially the young to be justified. To go a little in their place? An 18-20 year old child sees many of his peers losing their lives in the 21st century, from a collision between two trains that were moving oppositely on the same railway track. You can’t tolerate it, you can’t accept it… From this point of view such mobilizations do not scare me, I think it is better for all of us and for the government to see these mobilizations as an opportunity to strengthen our dialogue with the young children , to tell them that we are here, so that together with them we can correct the wrongs of Greek society.

Things do not change either only or mainly with the demonstrations. Things change with hard work and with creative work, with finding the cause of something bad that has happened and working hard and methodically to fix it. So we invite young people to work together and make our state better.

These 4 years, which were difficult years, due to major crises, which came from abroad to Greece, we did a lot of things, we improved many areas, but a lot of hard work is still needed and I am of the opinion that the Greek society will not want to risk the efforts we made in these 4 years. By subverting positive labor you are not moving forward. It is important to improve mistakes and weaknesses to be able to move forward and guarantee a better tomorrow for all young people.

So for these reasons I am of the opinion that the extremities could not be strengthened politically. The Greeks now have the knowledge and the experience and I believe that the decisions we will make when the time for elections comes will be the right decisions for the security and the future of Greece.