“Konstantinos Tasoulas was sworn in before Parliament just moments ago. The government wishes the new head of state success in his term, as he assumes office during a particularly challenging international period,” said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis during a press briefing.

“As the constitutional arbiter of the political system, Mr Tasoulas now represents all Greeks, regardless of how political parties positioned themselves in Parliament. It is the duty of all to contribute to fostering unity and strengthening public trust in institutions,” Marinakis added, also expressing gratitude to outgoing President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

New President of the Republic faces lawsuit over alleged concealment of legal complaints linked to Tempe disaster

At the same time, relatives of the victims of the Tempe train disaster filed a lawsuit against Tasoulas, accusing him of concealing legal complaints against political figures during his tenure as Speaker of Parliament. Specifically, they allege that he withheld lawsuits concerning the Transport Ministry’s responsibilities and two case files involving government officials, failing to forward them to Parliament as required by the Constitution. They also claim that he ignored legal notices from victims’ families and played a role in what they describe as a cover-up orchestrated by the parliamentary investigative committee.

Tasoula’s election had also raised concerns about the lack of parliamentary consensus, with the fairness of the process being questionned. He is the first President of the Republic to be elected under the 2019 constitutional reform, which separated the presidential election from the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of early elections. This change removed the need for government-opposition consensus.

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