After a meeting held in very high tones, the motion of no-confidence tabled by PASOK, SYRIZA, Eleftherias and New Left for the Tempi accident was voted down by 159 New Democracy MPs and independent MP Harris Katsivardas.

141 MPs from the parliamentary groups of PASOK – which had the initiative for the motion of no confidence – SYRIZA, New Left, Plysi Eleftherias, Hellenic Solution, Spartans, KKE and Nike voted in favour of the motion of no confidence. A total of 300 MPs voted.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leaving the Parliament after the announcement of the result, was literally besieged by journalists but avoided making any statements. “I have nothing more to say to you”. “How do we proceed?” “We are moving forward” the prime minister confined himself to saying.

Earlier in his statement, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the government’s political opponents wanted to turn pain into a tool to beat the government.

Mitsotakis said that his political opponents chose a stance that no one thought of in other tragedies. “They wanted to make their party banner the universal suffering, to turn the pain of society into a tool to hit the government, me personally. I wonder, I remember on the anniversary, in the first year, when you dressed Koumundourou in black. We could have done the same in 2019 but we didn’t. That is the big difference between this party and yours. I am always here. I positioned myself many times. I have only been absent in one meeting as I have always done in similar proceedings, but also because the parties cannot have a say in the matter except the independent judiciary,” he said.

The Prime Minister addressed all and sundry as Prime Minister, as a citizen, as a father. “I want you to listen to me not only with your heart but also with your mind. We have failed to walk towards a united tomorrow with fewer shadows like those that lead citizens to close their ears and believe no one and nothing. That is why I apologized on behalf of everyone. Without ever believing that there are Greeks who grieve more than others,” he noted.

Famellos’ harsh attack on Karamanlis – Florides

Earlier, the SYRIZA party’s chairman criticized the government harshly during the debate on the motion of no-confidence in the parliament. Socrates Famellos called on the Prime Minister to apologize during his statement while reiterating the statement of party president Stefanos Kasselakis about holding elections.

The chairman called the former minister, Kostas Karamanlis, unrepentant, noting that “parliamentary immunity does not protect him, that is not the obstacle. Famellos also attacked George Florides and his yesterday’s reports, noting that it was a vulgar statement. He challenged the Minister of Justice to stand before the families of the victims and the injured and look them in the eye and tell them “that we should not deal with the rubble, if he has the moral stature for the damage he has done to Greek society”.

Androulakis: We will not stop the fight – ND’s perpetual crime

The PASOK president attacked the government, saying that “the government operates as a well-tuned machine of corruption and cover-up. This is the executive state we have been touted for years.” He added that the government rejected PASOK’s proposal to set up a preliminary investigation committee because it invested in the argument of human error. “You acquitted Karamanlis as you arrogantly decided that there was no criminal responsibility.”

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Speaking about the Commission of Inquiry, Nikos Androulakis called it a travesty and explained that his party withdrew while, as he said, useful and crucial witnesses did not come to testify.

He also accused the government of attempting to cover up the accident at Tempe. Androulakis also attacked Kostas Karamanlis, saying that in yesterday’s speech “he had the nerve to play the victim Karamanlis” and referred to the applause of the New Democracy MPs.

“The crime in Tempe is an ongoing crime of the New Democracy government and that is why we will not stop fighting for truth and justice,” he said.