Gov’t has eroded people’s sense of security, PASOK chief says
Nikos Androulakis delivered a broad critique of the government in his first speech to Parliament following his recent re-election as PASOK leader, asserting that since its election in 2019, the conservative administration has severely undermined people’s sense of security.
“Are you proud of what you’ve achieved over the last five and a half years? Do citizens feel safe? Continuous failures have created a widespread sense of insecurity. People feel that the state is not fulfilling its role,” he said during a debate on fire prevention.
Highlighting that 37 percent of Attica’s forest land has been destroyed by fires in the past eight years, Androulakis accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of using climate change as an excuse to mask his government’s shortcomings.
“The climate crisis is not an excuse… Yes, climate change is real, and no one disputes that. The real issue is whether there’s a well-prepared and effective national strategy,” he said.
‘Yes, climate change is real, and no one disputes that. The real issue is whether there’s a well-prepared and effective national strategy’
Earlier, Mitsotakis had defended the government’s performance, pointing to increasingly difficult conditions due to climate change.
Androulakis also criticized the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias for his remarks following the recent wildfire in Corinthia.
“Mr Kikilias said, ‘We didn’t expect fires at this time of year.’ You were wrong not to expect them. You should have been prepared. This shows an unacceptable lack of readiness,” he said.
Androulakis extended his criticism to other areas of public safety, particularly transportation, accusing the government of failing to implement safety measures after the Tempe railway disaster in central Greece in February 2023, which claimed 57 lives.
“When will the ‘never again’ promise be fulfilled, when we’ve already seen nine near-tragedies since last year?” he asked.
Mitsotakis was present while Androulakis addressed Parliament; however, he chose to skip the speech by Nikos Pappas, the head of the SYRIZA parliamentary group, who spoke before him.
Observers interpreted this as a politically symbolic gesture, indicating that the conservative premier does not recognize SYRIZA’s interim president as a legitimate opponent due to his conviction by Greek justice. Mitsotakis’s departure was echoed by nearly half of New Democracy’s lawmakers.
