2024-03-31 08:18:54
“I did not and will not hide behind any parliamentary immunity,” said Kostas Ah. Karamanlis, from the floor of the Parliament, in the context of the debate on the motion of no confidence against the government for the tragedy of Tempe.
Beginning his speech, he said that he has decided to position himself only institutionally, noting at the same time that “tragedy is becoming an object of political exploitation” and that we are living an “open peak of cynicism. The masks have fallen.” He added that the government of N.D. “he did not see tragedy as an opportunity.”
“We also criticized tragedies, such as the one in Mati or Mandra. But we never sought the physical extermination of our opponents,” he emphasized.
Referring to his tenure as transport minister, he said he should have continued and completed the 717 contract, while on the crash he stressed that on that night there were “a lot of fatal mistakes – it’s not just theory, there is an admission”. He added that “the general traffic regulation, the “gospel” of the railway, was violated 7 times”.
Continuing, he emphasized: “You accuse me of a cover-up, while I resigned immediately, I took the political responsibility which is objective by definition.” And he added: “A cover-up is to spread false news, to step on human suffering, to trivialize procedures, to undermine institutions.”
He asked himself: “Does anyone think that I am not in pain like every Greek?”, noting that “from the first moment we were at the scene of the tragedy. These images will never fade from my memory. We didn’t play political theater.”
Escalating his attack on the parties, he pointed out that “we have a travesty of opposition”, with each party “offering its worst”. He underlined that “your target is not me, but Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his government and the ND faction”.
“The faction will not hand over the country to the gatekeepers of interests,” said Mr. Karamanlis, and concluding he emphasized: “I look you in the eyes, with absolute respect for the memories of those who were lost and their families.”
And he concluded with the phrase: “Whoever has evidence against me, bring it…”.
Wave of reactions
“The applause for Mr. Karamanlis shows that the ruling party has zero empathy,” PASOK president Nikos Androulakis said in response, saying that he should not even have been a candidate in the previous elections.
“And we see smiles, for the man who, from the floor of the Parliament, said “shame” on those who raised questions about the safety of the railways, a few days before the accident”.
“He didn’t say anything of substance, only arrogance,” he emphasized, addressing the ND deputies. he said: “You are all responsible for the behavior of the minister who was committed to security and then 57 people lost their lives.”
He also underlined that Mr. Karamanlis “did not say a word about the conclusion of the national transparency authority that was in his drawer”.
“Do you dare to confront the families of the victims, to tell them this to their face?”, said the president of Plefsis Eleftheria, Zoe Konstantopoulou, addressing K. Karamanlis. “You and Mr. Mitsotakis, who hold each other, are dragging your party to the precipice of criminal responsibility. Corruption kills,” he added.
“Ultimately you and Mr. Mitsotakis are innocent. That’s what you say. That it’s not your fault. You say you’re not hiding. You are hidden from us here, in the safe environment, by your own people. And they also gave you an immunity vote on November 24, 2023 when an indictment came, not from the opposition, but the European prosecutor for embezzlement of public money. From which the officials appointed by you acquired properties”, he added.
“I said it was immoral to put your acquittal on the backs of the citizens of Serres,” he said and continued: “Do you dare to talk about what you received and what you delivered? When the proposal came for the establishment of a pre-investigation committee, we voted to check the previous ones and you, K. Karamanlis, and Mr. Spirtzis, and Mr. Hatzidakis. You voted against it. 158 no”.
The Minister of State, Makis Voridis, described Mrs. Konstantopoulou as “the epitome of absolute vulgarity”, as, as he said, “I have not heard anywhere, in any parliament, anyone using this kind of phraseology” to exploit the emotion of the moment.
He added that his colleagues “do endurance exercises to withstand such depth of vulgarity”.