Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis plans to make changes to the government in the coming days amid widespread protests triggered by the tragic railway disaster of 2023.
According to five sources who spoke to Reuters, Mitsotakis is seeking to strengthen his support amid the protests sweeping the country. The sources indicated that one of the expected changes includes replacing Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis. Transport Minister Christos Staikouras is also expected to leave his position, with his deputy likely to take over the responsibility for overseeing railway sector reforms. The reshuffle could occur by the end of the week.
In late February, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to mark the anniversary of Greece’s deadliest railway disaster, which occurred on February 28, 2023, when 57 people, mostly students, lost their lives. Protesters have been demanding justice for the victims. Families of the deceased have criticized the center-right government for failing to initiate a parliamentary investigation to determine political responsibility for the incident.
On March 5, the Greek parliament voted to establish a special committee to investigate the ministers’ actions in relation to the disaster. The tragedy, which took place in Tempe when a passenger train collided with a freight train, remains the deadliest railway accident in Greece’s history.
