Following the exposure of their meeting with businessman Vangelis Marinakis, State Minister Stavros Papastavrou and Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Yiannis Bratakos tendered their resignations to Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Syriza commented on the resignations as evidence of the government’s deep-seated issues, stating, “Caught red-handed once more. The compelled resignations of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s key aides underscore the mire of controversy New Democracy finds itself in,” highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the government following the revelation.

The debate concluded with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asserting, “I never ordered a cover-up; I’m being honest with you, looking you straight in the eyes.” However, he did not address the opposition’s concerns. Instead, Mitsotakis reiterated the official stance that the tragedy in Tempe was a result of “human error”. He once again referred to the limited operating system on the fateful night as “remote traffic control.” Interestingly, he invoked the tragedy in Mati to draw parallels, despite earlier assertions there will be no such comparisons with the Tempe victims.

Moreover, the Prime Minister reiterated accusations that “interests” behind the no-confidence motion were attempting to undermine the government. This comes without mentioning the resignations of two ministers following revelations of their meeting with businessman Vangelis Marinakis.

Ultimately, the motion of no confidence was defeated by a vote of 158 from the governing majority and former Spartiates MP, Haris Katsivardas. The motion garnered 141  votes in support. In total, 300 MPs participated in the vote.

______________________________________________

Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.

Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.