Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • PM Modi in Manipur
  • Charlie Kirk killer
  • Sushila Karki
  • IND vs PAK
  • India-US ties
  • New human organ
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Movie Review
fp-logo
Greece election to be held in May under shadow of the country's deadliest rail disaster
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • World
  • Greece election to be held in May under shadow of the country's deadliest rail disaster

Greece election to be held in May under shadow of the country's deadliest rail disaster

agence france-presse • March 22, 2023, 08:35:58 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

In power since 2019, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ administration has seen its popularity tank since the train crash killed 57 people and brought tens of thousands of Greeks onto the streets, furious over the country’s dilapidated infrastructure and government mismanagement of the crisis

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Greece election to be held in May under shadow of the country's deadliest rail disaster

Athens, Greece: Greece’s elections will be held in May, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday, three weeks after the country’s deadliest rail disaster sparked protests and piled pressure on his conservative government. Mitsotakis’ term officially ends in July, ahead of which a second ballot may be needed if the first vote fails to produce a majority or a multi-party coalition. No exact date was given for the polls. “I can tell you with certainty that the elections will be held in May,” the leader of the New Democracy (ND) party said in his first televised interview since the head-on collision between two trains on 28 February. “A second election may be necessary. It is very likely.” In power since 2019, Mitsotakis’ administration has seen its popularity tank since the February train crash killed 57 people and brought tens of thousands of Greeks onto the streets, furious over the country’s dilapidated infrastructure and perceived government mismanagement of the crisis. While the accident was attributed to a mistake by the stationmaster on duty that night, Greece’s rail watchdog found in a probe that serious safety faults permeated the network, including inadequate basic training of critical staff. Accusations of mismanagement Railway unions had long warned of problems stemming from underfunding and understaffing after a decade of spending cuts, which they claimed left the network prone to accidents. According to the unions, once-operational signalling and safety systems had also fallen into disuse due to extensive vandalism and looting of the 2,552-kilometre (1,586-mile) network. The disaster sparked weeks of angry and occasionally violent protests. The prime minister tried to quell the unrest by repeatedly apologising and vowing a transparent probe. Still, he became a lightning rod for criticism after he said the crash was caused by “a tragic human error”. Greece’s transport minister resigned while an investigation was launched into possible railway fund mismanagement over the last 15 years. At the demonstrations’ peak, more than 65,000 people poured onto the streets, demanding accountability, calling for Mitsotakis’s resignation and some accusing the government of being “murderers”. After sporadic work stoppages, a 24-hour general strike on March 16 paralysed transport. Cost of living crisis The crash aggravated already high public anger over the government’s handling of a cost of living crisis, with energy and food prices skyrocketing. The pandemic struck just as Greece was beginning to recover from economic woes that had already seen it lose a quarter of its national output. In 2020, the economy shrank by nine per cent. Inflation in January surged to 6.2 per cent in annual comparison, while the country’s unemployment rate has surged to become the highest in the eurozone, at around 13 per cent. Many Greeks have been alarmed by the decay of public services in the country which has had to privatise much of its public sector, including passenger and freight trains, to pay off debts. The last tranche of IMF loans extended to Greece during the 2010-2018 debt crisis, worth 1.85 billion euros, is to be repaid by April. In the latest opinion polls conducted after the train crash, New Democracy’s advantage over the main opposition party Syriza had slipped to between 3.5 to 4.1 points ahead. Young voters, especially students, were seen as especially dissatisfied with the status quo. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tags
Greece Election train crash Kyriakos Mitsotakis rail disaster dilapidated infrastructure
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Impact Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Erika Kirk delivered an emotional speech from her late husband's studio, addressing President Trump directly. She urged people to join a church and keep Charlie Kirk's mission alive, despite technical interruptions. Erika vowed to continue Charlie's campus tours and podcast, promising his mission will not end.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports

QUICK LINKS

  • Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV