Greece’s ruling New Democracy party has agreed to the formation of a parliamentary inquiry into former Deputy Minister Christos Triantopoulos over allegations of misconduct related to the deadly Tempe train disaster, government sources confirmed Wednesday.
The move follows a request late Tuesday by opposition party Pasok, which claimed there were "sufficient indications" that Mr. Triantopoulos had committed "breach of duty" in handling aspects of the tragedy. The disaster, which occurred in February 2023, left 57 people dead and raised serious concerns about the country’s railway safety.
New Democracy lawmakers said they had "nothing to hide" and supported the formation of the investigative committee. However, they dismissed Pasok’s claims as a politically motivated effort to "exploit the tragedy for electoral gain."
Government sources also criticized the opposition’s reasoning, stating that accusations against Mr. Triantopoulos were based merely on his participation in an "informal meeting" and providing "moral support" to officials, rather than concrete evidence of wrongdoing.
The proposal for the inquiry is backed by opposition parties Syriza, New Left, Plefsi Eleftherias, and Niki, though for differing political reasons.It was officially submitted to Parliament on Wednesday by Pasok leader Nikos Androulakis and 30 of his party’s lawmakers.
Parliamentary procedures now dictate that the request will be reviewed and scheduled for a vote, with deadlines for deliberation set according to the chamber’s rules.