Greek opposition parties challenged the country’s center-right government on Wednesday with a censure motion in parliament over a fatal rail disaster which claimed 57 lives and left dozens injured.
The move comes days after a general strike and mass protests, some of which escalated into violence, on the second anniversary of the Feb. 28, 2023 tragedy.
Led by the main opposition Socialist party, the censure motion is backed by three smaller left-wing parties.
A vote is expected late Friday, though it is unlikely to threaten the government, which holds 156 seats in the 300-member parliament.
Many of the victims of the head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train in northern Greece were university students returning from a long weekend holiday, making the disaster a deeply emotional issue.
Unions called a general strike last week in support of the mass mobilization led by the victims’ relatives. Critics say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the collision, but so far only rail officials have been charged with any crimes.
Socialist party leader Nikos Androulakis on Wednesday accused the government of shielding officials from accountability for the tragedy.
“Why do you remain so unrepentant, continuing down this road of insults and arrogance?” Androulakis asked lawmakers. “That’s why we are submitting a motion of no confidence today.”
