Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster
The deadly rail disaster left 57 people dead after a passenger train smashed into an oncoming freight train.
Greece’s centre-right government survived a motion of no-confidence on Thursday that was brought by opposition parties over its handling of the country’s deadliest rail disaster a year ago.
Four left-wing opposition parties accused the government of hindering an investigation into the rail crash that left 57 people dead, many of them university students returning from a spring break.
Parliament voted 159-141 against the motion following an acrimonious three-day debate. The government also rejected opposition calls to hold a snap election.
The crash on February 28 2023 occurred when a passenger train smashed into an oncoming freight train that had been mistakenly placed on the same track.
“There was no cover-up,” he told MPs ahead of the vote. “What exactly has all this debate (in parliament) contributed to the investigation?”
Opinion polls suggest that a majority of the public believe the government had not honestly addressed its responsibilities regarding the crash.
Despite its defeat, the no-confidence motion was the result of a rare collaboration between Greece’s centre-left and left-wing parties ahead of European Parliament elections in June.
