By Yannis Anifantis

With fierce confrontations, heavy characterizations and with the relatives of the victims of the railway accident watching throughout the session from the gallery, the debate on the conclusion of the inquiry committee was concluded in the Plenary Session of the Parliament, in a process marked by the brutal crimes and government and opposition counterclaims.

The headlines of the end of the parliamentary inquiry fell late on Wednesday night, with the bitter bra de fer between the government and the opposition unfolding against the backdrop of the next day of the rail accident inquiry, with justice now having the final say. Minister of State Makis Voridis accused the opposition of a systematic attempt to exploit the tragedy, with the minority parties insisting on the argument of covering up the responsibility for the accident.

Boridis attack on opposition: You are taking advantage of people’s anxiety to get the populist daily wage

From the government seats, Makis Voridis accused the opposition of systematically exploiting the Tempe tragedy, stressing that “not only did we not cover up, but we have been extremely tolerant of the systematic attempt to politically exploit the opposition.” The Minister of State criticized the attitude of the minority, arguing that SYRIZA and PASOK are accusing ministers of criminal responsibility without real evidence.

He even referred to the citizens’ popular legislative initiative to abolish the responsibility of ministers and parliamentary immunity, aiming his fire at SYRIZA: “You can’t remember these things only when you are in opposition. You were also in the review and did not propose a waiver of immunity. Why don’t you tell the citizens that what they are asking for can only be achieved by constitutional revision and not by law? You take advantage of people’s anxiety when you lie to them to get the populist salary.”

Earlier, however, the “dance” of political controversies had been opened by the position of Sokratis Famellos, who, although he attributed criminal responsibility to ministers for the railway accident and spoke of an attempted cover-up, refrained from submitting a proposal for the establishment of a preliminary investigation committee. “On the one hand you say that there are criminal responsibilities and on the other hand you do not intend to file a preliminary investigation proposal (…) Why are you doing this? Why do you have to say crimes, describe them and have a specialized criminal discussion and you don’t even assume this responsibility”, said Mr. Voridis, addressing Mr. Famellos. “In memory of the people who perished, I tell you that I do not recognize the right to represent a government whose laws you do not recognize,” retorted Mr. Famellos.

Voles Androulakis: “You are a pack of power”

The president of PASOK spoke of an attempt to cover up, launching a fierce attack on the government and personally on the prime minister from the floor of the Parliament.

“Sadness, rage and indignation. You turned the safest, greenest and cheapest Means of Transport into the most dangerous and you have an insulting attitude towards the victims and their relatives. Corruption, arrest impunity. The fixed pattern of government. A herd of power”, N. Androulakis pointed out characteristically, with him accusing the government of “establishment mentality as it believes that no one can touch it and will impose what it wants. But here we are talking about a blow to the heart of the Greek people.”

Shots from the other parties as well – Two fierce fights with Konstantopoulou

Dimitris Koutsoubas spoke of a “little show between New Democracy and SYRIZA” with the General Secretary of the KKE denouncing that the government is accountable and exposed, speaking of a “provocative finding of a cover-up”. “The moral perpetrator of the Tempe crime is absent: The prime minister. Once again it proved to be a sham”, emphasized Kyriakos Velopoulos, with Alexis Haritsis from the New Left arguing that “Spreading the blame on everyone and going back to a remote past means obscuring the real responsibilities, it means acquitting those really responsible, it means non-delivery of justice”.

In the plenary hall, however, the electrified atmosphere was maintained between the MPs of the majority and the president of Plevsis Eleftherias, with the president of the examining committee complaining from the podium that some political forces saw the tragedy of Tempe as “a revenge, as a come back of of irrationality” and Zoe Konstantopoulou to raise the gauntlet and characterize the intervention of Dimitris Markopoulos as “shameful”, accusing him of insults and bullying.

A second episode of conflict was caused when Thanos Pleuris protested at the presidium of the Parliament, claiming that “every time a member of the ND speaks, whenever he is in the room, Ms. Konstantopoulou interrupts him”, speaking of “parliamentary bullying”. “You killed people, you are to blame” shouted Zoi Konstantopoulou, with Minister of State Makis Voridis replying: “The toxic discourse and those who represent it collapsed, some think they will make a career with it again. We are here and we will see.”