Tensions ran high in the Greek Parliament on Tuesday as heated exchanges unfolded over the Tempi train tragedy and the recent death of 39-year-old Vassilis Kalogirou, son of the head of the Larissa Appeals Prosecutor’s Office. The debate quickly escalated into a fierce confrontation between the government and the opposition.
The clash was ignited by SYRIZA President Socrates Famellos, who raised concerns about Kalogirou’s death, questioning its potential connection to the prosecutor’s investigation into the Tempi tragedy. “Greek society is shocked and demands answers,” he declared. He pointed to a social media post by the victim’s mother, who appeared to suggest foul play, and emphasized that the opposition was merely raising questions, unlike the Prime Minister, “who rushes to act as an investigator, a prosecutor, and a judge.”
The 39-year-old Kalogirou had been missing since December 30. His body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, making it difficult for forensic experts to determine the exact cause of death.
The case has drawn significant media attention due to Kalogirou’s mother’s role as a top Larissa prosecutor involved in the ongoing Tempi rail collision investigation. The 2023 disaster, which claimed the lives of 57 people—mostly young passengers—has left the Greek government facing allegations of a cover-up, sparking nationwide protests across multiple sectors.
State Minister Makis Voridis responded with fierce indignation to the intimations made on the parliament floor, slamming Famellos’ comments as “vile and despicable rhetoric.” “What suspicions are you leaving? Is there a limit to your downward spiral? You have poisoned Greek society with these unsubstantiated theories, completely unfounded, not based on reality,” Voridis fired back.
The tension escalated further when Alexandros Kazamia of Course for Freedom accused Voridis of being “in a difficult position.” Voridis shot back: “If you have something to say and you are both a real man and proud, stand up and tell us, tell us you know someone has been murdered by the government. Aren’t you a little ashamed?”
Zoe Konstantopoulou, President of Course for Freedom, took the floor with a rebuke. “Mr. Voridis, first of all, you will never again address a Member of Parliament—any MP—with this bullying: ‘If you are a real man.’ Who are you talking to?” She also described Kalogirou’s death as “a coincidence absolutely worthy of investigation” and cited the grieving mother’s post, questioning whether it was being ignored.
Refusing to back down, Voridis insisted that the government had no reason to cover anything up. “We have heard that we are covering up a case to protect someone, but no one can name who that is. What is the Government’s interest in covering up a tragedy with 57 homicides?” He accused opposition parties of engaging in a “miserable downward spiral.”
Konstantopoulou countered directly: “You are harboring Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Karamanlis. Do not say again that you do not know who we are referring to. You intervened in the process, placed this burden on one official, and when she called Transport Ministry officials to account, her child disappeared.”
Health Minister Adonis Georgiades criticized what he called the “instrumentalization of the Tempi tragedy,” specifically singling out Konstantopoulou. “I believe that the Greek people have begun to understand how much of a quagmire Greece is being led into by those who exploit this tragedy,” he said. “One day they call us pedophiles, the next smugglers, the third murderers. Hey, that’s enough at last!”
PASOK parliamentary representative Pavlos Geroulanos pointed to public distrust in institutions. “Approximately 70% to 80% of Greeks do not believe we will ever find out what happened in Tempi. Seven out of ten Greeks do not believe those responsible will be punished. And that, in itself, is a second tragedy,” he warned.
A recent poll found that more than 7 in 10 respondents believe there is an attempt to cover up accountability in the Tempi case.
New Left MP Nassos Iliopoulos accused the government of blocking discussions on Tempi in the European Parliament. “The rhetorical question is whether, after all that you have said—over the corpses of 57 people—you feel even half a drop of shame at night.”
New Democracy’s Anna Efthymiou in turn criticized Famellos for “prejudging an investigation” before forensic services reached a conclusion.
New Left MP Sia Anagnostopoulou condemned what she saw as a government attempt to silence the victims’ families. “Trust in the institutions is shaken when society has to dig through cover-up burrows to find justice. The Prime Minister should not try to change course now by attacking the victims’ relatives.”
