“The government continues to disappoint with a Commission of Inquiry, which is the definition of shame. And there you proved that everything that threatens your power, you degenerate with your propaganda mechanisms” said the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis, during his intervention in the plenary session of the Parliament on the anniversary of the accident in Tempi.

In particular, Mr. Androulakis, criticizing the government, said, among other things, that “your goal, therefore, from the beginning – in a systematic and methodical way – was to achieve the cover-up and to never find out the real causes of the crime. Every time you sacrifice institutions on the altar of cover-up, you injure democracy.”

The entire speech of Nikos Androulakis:

I had no intention of speaking today, but the message of Mr. Mitsotakis on the anniversary of the crime of Tempi, leaves me no room. A year ago a black page was written in the history of the place. 57 fellow human beings lost their lives in a violent and unjust manner. Many were seriously injured.

Earlier today, the relatives of the victims came to the scene of the tragedy to hold a vigil and pay tribute to the memory of their loved ones. We share their pain, join in their mourning and express our solidarity.

Today, however, we have to do our self-criticism as a state, because unfortunately we disappointed them with the responsibility of the governing majority. We disappointed them, mainly because as an organized state we could not guarantee that 350 passengers would be able to move safely and without risk from Athens to Thessaloniki.

We could not guarantee their safety and above all the greatest good of human life. Instead of a routine route, we had a national tragedy.

The government, however, continues to disappoint with a Commission of Inquiry, which is the definition of shame. And there you proved that everything that threatens your power, you degenerate with your propaganda mechanisms.

The government trolls did not hesitate to attack even the relatives of the victims and the minister in charge went so far as to instruct them on how to manage their pain. Important witnesses were never called despite many opposition parties asking you to do so. For this reason, a few days ago, when we had already exhausted all scope for a substantial investigation of the crime, we left, because we do not intend to become your accomplices in this second crime of cover-up.

A Commission of Inquiry, unfortunately proposed by the KKE and qualified by the government to avoid our own proposal,
which was based on the conclusion of the European Prosecutor for the establishment of a Pre-Inquiry Committee, which would examine the criminal responsibilities of your Minister, Mr. Karamanlis, and the minister of the previous government, Mr. Spirtzis, for the non-implementation of the 717 convention for the remote control. A contract, which even the experts you appointed, admitted that if it had been completed, this tragedy would never have happened and we would not be grieving victims.

Your goal, then, was from the beginning – in a systematic and methodical way – to achieve the cover-up so that we never learn the real causes of the crime. Every time you sacrifice institutions on the altar of cover-up, you injure democracy.

How can any reasonable person describe the style and words of Mr. Karamanlis to the Investigative Committee, as if he were an accuser?

Tell me, how else can a sane person describe the belated summons of Mr. Agorastos as a defendant, who did not answer whose orders he was carrying out when they set up the crime scene?

Since the first day of the tragedy and especially since the Commission of Inquiry was established, the government has followed the path of crooked justice and irresponsibility. You have become so addicted to blaming others to manage the political cost that you have lost even basic empathy. Your lack of empathy is due to your massive arrogance. It is this arrogance that makes you despise this open wound in the heart and soul of the Greek people, with the tragedy of Tempe.

As a State, we had to stand by the families and relatives of the victims, individually. We had to stop too
to survivors and their families. We had a duty to speak out about the state’s failure to guarantee and protect human life. We had a duty to work collectively to avoid future tragedies. Instead, as a government, you preferred to demonstrate with your actions that you are not interested in this priority, which, on the contrary, we have. You never gave a real apology.

Today, in his message, the Prime Minister said that “respect for suffering requires maturity and prudence”. He audaciously repeated that the crime of February 28 was solely due to human error and behind the age-old shortcomings and pathologies of the state he tried to hide his own inaccuracies. A staff state, Mr. Mitsotakis, also means staff responsibilities, your own responsibilities.

That is why you are the first person to be held accountable for the scandalous behavior of your minister, Mr. Karamanlis, for the non-use of European funds amounting to 54 billion euros, for the constant transfers of remote control work and the illegal transfer of the station master.

For a year now you have been trying to cover up in a methodical way the real causes of the crime, wanting the “blue” executives to avoid political and criminal responsibilities. Your cynicism does not heal the collective wound, but pours salt into an open wound. The behavior of your officials – inside and outside the commission of inquiry – insults the memory of the victims, the mourning of the relatives and the whole country, which thirsts and asks for the truth.

Concluding my speech, I would like to remind you of something that remains relevant to this day. The motto “Truth and Justice” of the great French, socialist democrat and writer, Emile Zola. Without truth and justice there is no democracy, only opacity, cynicism and authoritarianism.

That’s why we firmly believe that learning the truth, even when it hurts, learning what really happened
and to know the true facts, is the basis for all rendering of justice. In our opinion, this is the democratic ethos, which guarantees the proper functioning of the institutions. This is what the citizens have been thirsting for for a year. They thirst for truth and justice.

Condolences alone are not enough for them.