Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis refers to the tragedy of the train collision in Larissa with 57 dead in a post on social media.
The Greek Prime Minister emphasizes that he wants to refer to the tragedy “without repeating the trivial. To make an effort to put my thoughts in order and my feelings in words”.
The Prime Minister then writes in capital letters “I AM SORRY” which he says he owes to everyone and above all to the relatives of the victims. “Because, indeed, in the Greece of 2023, it is not possible for two trains to move in opposite directions on the same line and no one noticing it”, he says.
He then states that “we cannot, do not want and should not hide behind human error”. He emphasizes “the fact that the Digital Control System will be fully operational in the coming months is no excuse. The opposite. It makes my pain even worse that we didn’t get to finish it before this happened”.
As Mr. Mitsotakis writes, “Justice will quickly investigate the tragedy and assign responsibility. While in the next few days the responsible minister will announce interventions to immediately improve the safety of the railways until the Electronic Administration System is completed. Now, we have a duty to stand with the families of the victims, courageously acknowledging the mistakes of the state”.
At the same time, he points out that this is not enough and he will “immediately ask the European Commission and friendly countries for their assistance in terms of know-how, so that we can finally obtain modern trains. And I will fight for additional EU funding to maintain and rapidly upgrade the existing network”.
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He notes that he will propose “to all the political parties to commit from now on that, in the next Parliament, a Special Committee will be established that will investigate the painful history of the Greek railways throughout the last twenty years. What has not been done for so many years must be done now and quickly. We all know that the country’s railways are seriously problematic. It is perhaps the extreme expression of a Greece that does not suit us and we want to leave it behind”.
“I know that many today will remember the phrase of one of my predecessors that ‘this is Greece’. But no, it’s not just that. There is another Greece, out there, that gives us hope, faith and strength”.
He notes also, “we also saw the face of the best Greece in the passengers who risked their lives to save their fellow passengers. To the Greek men and women who hurried together to give blood. But also to the young children who demonstrated silently and peacefully, holding a candle”.
