Tempe train crash and Thessaly farmers in focus this week

The Tempe train crash will remain at the top of the political agenda for another week, as political parties submit their – divergent – findings to the parliamentary investigative committee, effectively agreeing that they disagree.

Farmers from the flooded Thessaly region are scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while a team of Dutch experts will present their proposals for the reconstruction of the affected area. 

On Monday, the political dialogue between the Greek and Turkish high-level delegations continues in Ankara, with the main objective being preserving the current calm in the Aegean Sea. 

Students have pledged to continue protests against the university reform, which was voted on last Friday.

On the economy front, Moody’s rating agency, which has still not brought Greek bonds out of “junk” status will deliver its verdict on the Greek rating on Friday.

Tempe

Political parties have to submit their findings on the Tempe train crash, the country’s deadliest rail accident, to the parliament’s investigative committee by Monday.

As expected, each party will present its own conclusions, with those of the ruling New Democracy’s parliamentary majority likely to prevail. Another parliamentary committee will draw to a close without making any meaningful contribution.

New Democracy submitted a report concluding that the general railway regulations were violated seven times, leading to the tragic accident. It refutes any allegations of cover-up attempts and points to the ongoing judicial inquiry.

SYRIZA blames the former New Democracy political leadership of the Transport Ministry and alleges a government cover-up. It highlights that implementing Convention 717, which involves upgrading the signaling and remote-control system in the Greek railway network, could have averted the disaster.

PASOK did not submit its findings denouncing the government for cover-up and said former Minister Christos Spirtzis and former Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis should be investigated for the alleged criminal offences of breach of duty committed and misappropriation of funds respectively.

New Left said the investigation should continue and a preliminary inquiry committee should be set up.

The Communist KKE party has already submitted its findings to the prosecutor, asserting that it contains evidence implicating political figures in criminal responsibility.

The parliamentary inquiry refrained from investigating significant evidence: it did not discuss the European prosecutor’s case file calling for action against two former ministers or material from the prosecutor of the Appeals Court in Larissa. Furthermore, it did not summon any witnesses who had implicated political figures. The chances of investigating political figures’ responsibility for the tragedy are therefore dramatically reduced.

This outcome was also influenced by KKE’s stance, which supported New Democracy’s preference for an investigative committee rather than a preliminary inquiry committee.

Farmers

Mitsotakis will receive a delegation of flood-stricken farmers from Thessaly at the PM’s office to discuss all issues concerning compensation for affected producers and reconstruction projects.

The farmers are demanding immediate payment of flood compensation, reiterating their demand for income replacement measures for 2024, reduction of production costs, changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and restoration and flood protection projects in Thessaly.

They also want a specific timetable for the drainage of water from the land around Lake Karla and a solution to avoid similar situations in the future.

Dutch agricultural consultancy HVA International will also present its master plan for the Thessalian plain to the regional committee of experts on Monday. The experts from the Netherlands, who inspected the damage in Thessaly, have already presented their proposals to Mitsotakis.

The main point of contention with locals is cotton cultivation, with Thessaly farmers stressing that scrapping cotton cultivation is a non-negotiable point.

Greece-Turkey

Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou will meet her Turkish counterpart Burak Akcapar on Monday in Ankara as part of the political dialogue between the two countries’ foreign ministries.

The meeting will primarily address Greek-Turkish bilateral relations, along with discussions on regional and international developments.

University bill

Student unions are organizing a new rally on Thursday against the legislation, which opens the door for private universities to establish branches in Greece.

In a statement, the unions announced their intention to continue mobilizing against the reform and to hold general assemblies to discuss university occupations.

The legislation was passed by 159 MPs late on Friday after weeks of often violent protests by student unions.

Investment grade

Moody’s, which along Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Group, is considered one of the Big Three credit rating agencies, is the only one so far that has not assigned an investment grade to Greece.

It is likely to do so on Friday, upgrading Greece from Ba1 to Baa3. Last week DBRS confirmed its credit rating at BBB (low) with a stable outlook, having been the first major agency last year to restore the country’s investment grade.