Row between Athens mayor and minister intensifies
A row between Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis and Citizens’ Protection Minister Nikos Toskas intensified on Thursday, after the former reiterated his demand for the latter’s resignation.
Speaking on Skai TV, Kaminis repeated a call from earlier in the week for Toskas to step down over his failure to crack down on a spate of attacks against public transport and infrastructure in Athens.
“How many dumpsters, how many trolley buses, how many kiosks need to be torched and how many statues destroyed before a minister has the decency to resign,” said the Athens mayor, adding that he does not hold the Greek Police responsible.
The responsibility for the burgeoning attacks, Kaminis said, rests solely with the political leadership, adding that he has been compelled to demand Toskas’s resignation because the situation has become unmanageable.
Responding to his comments, Toskas accused Kaminis of “political ambitions” and said the mayor is spearheading a “smear campaign” against him.
“The former Ombudsman is now defending other interests and I really don’t recognize him anymore,” Toskas said of the mayor. “Why didn’t he call for resignations when Athens was burning before?”
Kaminis called for Toskas’s resignation earlier this week after unknown assailants torched three trolley buses on central Patission Street, forcing the passengers off one of the vehicles before launching petrol bombs. The other two vehicles were empty, except for the drivers.
No one was injured in the assault, though two of the trolley buses were completely destroyed.
