Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Giannis Kefalogiannis, launched a strong attack on the Mayor of Patras, Kostas Pelettidis, over the recent wildfires.

Speaking during an emergency briefing on the fires’ developments, Kefalogiannis described Pelettidis’ behavior as dangerous and his comments on the 112 emergency alert system as criminal for public safety.

“I deeply regret to say that the Municipality of Patras fell short of the circumstances on all levels. In terms of prevention, we saw many uncleaned plots; in firefighting efforts, there was minimal participation; and when it came to protecting human life, I heard Mayor Pelettidis urging citizens not to follow the 112 instructions — something I consider criminal and dangerous for public safety,” he said.

“This is not responsible behavior from the mayor of the country’s third-largest city. It is also hypocritical to request the issuance of the 112 alert eleven times — eight of them personally by the Mayor — and then encourage citizens to ignore his own instructions. We have lived through the tragedy of Mati, and I will not allow anyone to question the 112 system, which literally saves lives,” Kefalogiannis stressed.