The announcement by Deputy Minister of Civil Protection, Christos Triantopoulos, that he would resign from his position once the Investigative Committee requested by PASOK regarding the “cover-up” of the Tempi tragedy site is officially established, came as no surprise. It was already considered a given that he would step down in light of the new developments, while government sources also indicated that it was only logical that a politician under investigation could not remain in a government position. “Can you imagine what the opposition would say if an Investigative Committee were formed and Triantopoulos stayed in the government?” a government source told protothema.gr.

Nevertheless, Mr. Triantopoulos’ departure does not signal a rift with the government. In his detailed statement announcing his resignation, he laid out a comprehensive rationale and firmly disagreed with PASOK’s accusations. “I want to make it absolutely clear that all allegations concerning me are completely detached from reality and logic. My presence, alongside a government delegation, at the accident site—days after the tragic event—and the baseless speculations about the reasons for my visit are now being used for petty political purposes, as supposed proof of an imaginary and, in reality, non-existent ‘cover-up.’ It is even implied that the government and its officials acted with intent to ‘cover up’ vague illegal activities and unidentified culprits. Who exactly, and why? No one knows,” Mr. Triantopoulos stated.

It is worth noting that his decision to announce his resignation from the government was fully coordinated with the Maximos Mansion, which also leaked his intentions. After all, before being elected as an MP in 2023 and moving to Kifisias Avenue, to the Civil Protection building, Mr. Triantopoulos had served as Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, effectively setting up the first-response aid mechanism after natural disasters.

Cabinet Reshuffle Still a Long Way Off

For now, Mr. Triantopoulos’ position at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection will remain vacant, and his departure will not trigger a cabinet reshuffle. According to a close associate of Mr. Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister has not yet made his decisions and believes that making changes to the government lineup in the middle of a “hot” February—marked by the publication of reports from NTUA and EODASAAM, discussions on the Investigative Committee, protests for the second anniversary of the tragedy, and, of course, the announced motion of no confidence—would be rather meaningless.

According to reports, Mr. Mitsotakis is still weighing the possibility of splitting the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, as restructuring government bodies entails a series of changes affecting affiliated agencies and state-owned companies. A characteristic example is the issue of railway-related agencies, some of which fall under Infrastructure and others under Transport.

Additionally, a critical decision the Prime Minister must make concerns the operation of the Maximos Mansion. The debate revolves around whether to bring Giorgos Gerapetritis back into the inner circle or to relocate current members of the Prime Minister’s team to key ministries.

For the government, the immediate priority is staffing the Investigative Committee. As protothema.gr reported yesterday, candidates for the chairmanship include Vice President of Parliament Giorgos Georgantas or MP Sevi Voloudaki, while discussions about committee members are focused on MPs with legal backgrounds. It remains to be seen whether MPs who participated in the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee will also be utilized.