The risk of being called upon to rule a toxic opposition without any plan for the country if the government that has restored the country’s prestige internationally falls, insisted the Minister of Economy and Finance, Kostis Hatzidakiswho accused the parties that signed the no-confidence motion of waging a “desperate and furious opposition” driven by a sterile estrus.

As Mr. Hatzidakis pointed out, the opposition violates the basic rules of politics that apply in all European countries, ignores the presumption of innocence and is indifferent to the rules of a fair trial and does not care as much about the victims as about the polls.

Referring to the Tempe tragedy, the Minister of National Economy and Finance emphasized that there is no one who is not shocked, no one who has not thought that the children on the train could have been their own children. And no one believes that there are no political responsibilities – and certainly not the government.

“They were undertaken by the Prime Minister himself and the then Minister of Transport who immediately submitted his resignation. But there is no one who does not believe that human error played a decisive role in the Tempe disaster. As that night the General Traffic Regulation of the OSE was violated seven times in a very few minutes. I myself have heard with my own ears opposition MPs on the Inquiry Committee admit it“, he said.

He added that the only winner from a potential cover-up of responsibility for this tragedy is the opposition at a purely political level.

“Certainly not the families of the victims and also certainly not the government. Because the citizens in these cases do not want any shadow to remain in such cases. And they punish anyone who attempts such a thing“, he emphasized.

Mr. Hatzidakis recalled that – in contrast – the New Democracy for the Eye denounced government responsibilities, mistakes and omissions, but did not ask for the criminal responsibilities of Ministers to be investigated, nor did its MEPs denounce the matter in European and international forums.

“Not even New Democracy had done it. Of course, SYRIZA had not thought of such things either. But neither does PASOK, which is now doing other things. All victims are victims and all families are hurting. It is clear to me that this ruthless demagoguery serves nothing but petty party needs. The families of the victims have nothing to expect from such an opposition. Who doesn’t care as much about the victims as he does about the polls“, write down. “The hopes of all of us – and ours, as we are no less humanly sensitive than you – are in the Justice” said Mr. Hatzidakis addressing the chairs of the Opposition parties and expressed the belief that the Justice will rise to the occasion and will conduct a fair trial.

With reference to the institutional issues that are also touched upon in the latest report of the majority of the European Parliament, Mr. Hatzidakis pointed out that he does not claim that mistakes have not been made or that there is no room for improvement. Regarding the wiretapping issue, he reminded that he has spoken himself, from the floor of the Parliament, he has clarified his point of view and he has only to repeat what I had noted at the time without changing a word – as he characteristically said.

Mr. Hatzidakis added, however, that one should see the big picture which includes:

-The report of the European Commission on the Rule of Law in 2023 in the EU which speaks in an extremely positive way about Greece.

-The report of the Group of Countries Against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO), which notes the improvement of the situation in our country in recent years.

-The Economist’s report on the quality of democracy, which ranks Greece among the 20 best democracies in the world.

“Is the Economist our organ? The European Commission? The Council of Europe?’ he wondered and concluded: “This is not the time for the country to be divided, nor to play with its future. On the contrary, it is time to move forward unitedly. We with seriousness, speed and determination, correcting where necessary any of our mistakes. The opposition finally trying to become less unreliable and putting aside the constant falsehood and extreme populism. And the country without wasting the progress of recent years. We Greeks have turned to responsibility and seriousness. And we will insist on the only political force that today guarantees a secure future for Greece and the Greeks: the New Democracy!»

Mr. Hatzidakis finally responded to the positions of the parliamentary representatives of PASOK, Michalis Katrinis, of the New Left, Euclid Tsakalotou and of Hellenic Solution, K. Chita, who criticized both the Tempi case and its policy government. In Mr. Tsakalotou’s reports, he pointed out that “obviously not everything was done perfectly in the OSE, but in every attempt to consolidate, the parties of the Left were opposite, “fans of immobility”. Furthermore, he pointed out that in the development of SYRIZA we were below half of the EU, today we are more than double, while we had reached the bottom of the table in investments, in the last four years we have set a twenty-year record especially in foreign investments. ” he added.

He also accused PASOK of being led to “Syrizization”, while regarding the Greek solution he emphasized:We don’t have magic recipes, your party has the magic recipes. Go and say everything you say about the economy in Perama, Keratsini, Drapetsona, Nea Ionia, Peristeri and Aegaleo. The popular layers and the workers who supported the New Democracy had a reason. It goes a long way with professionally supporting popular interests“.