PASOK demands resignation of Greek Justice Minister Floridis over Tempi remarks

Opposition demands Floridis resign

The Greek opposition party PASOK - Movement for Change has demanded the immediate resignation or dismissal of Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis, declaring his departure a matter of public transparency. PASOK released its statement following an interview Floridis gave to the morning programme "Simera" on the SKAI television network. The party argued that an official who attempted to steer judicial proceedings cannot remain in his post while the Tempi railway disaster case remains pending before the courts. In its communication, the party stated that Floridis had lost all sense of proportion by creating theories of invisible conspiracies. PASOK asserted that Floridis delivered conclusions in the Hellenic Parliament and on television studios before the judicial council had even taken up the formal inquiry.

It is now clear that as long as the case is pending in the judiciary, the person who undermined its independence cannot remain minister.

Dispute over crash site earthworks

The political dispute stems from the referral of Christos Triantopoulos to the Special Court concerning operational decisions made at the crash site in the days following the collision. Opposition parties have repeatedly challenged the grading and covering of the ground with earth and gravel, arguing that the alteration may have destroyed key evidence. Floridis previously addressed the issue in parliament during a 2024 debate on a motion of no confidence against the government, where he stated that politicians speaking about site tampering in a murky landscape were worthless. Speaking on the radio station "Parapolitika 90.3" on Wednesday, Floridis stated that his 2024 comments were fully justified, adding in subsequent interviews that his remarks were aimed strictly at political rivals rather than the relatives of the crash victims. PASOK responded that the referral of Triantopoulos confirmed the minister's lack of institutional credibility.

Floridis rejects calls for dismissal

Floridis dismissed the calls for his resignation during an appearance on the ANT1 programme "Kalimera Ellada", responding directly to demands made on Tuesday by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Tsipras had called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to either accept Floridis' resignation or remove him from the cabinet. Floridis questioned why his own position was being raised, asserting that the completed judicial investigation and the ongoing trial demonstrated that no evidentiary material had been lost at the site. He explained that the referral of Triantopoulos concerned only whether official intervention protocols were observed after the Fire Service had delivered tons of water at the crash scene.

The political battle was won. They do not forgive us for uncovering the conspiracy in which Mr. Tsipras participated.

Floridis stated that the government had faced two years of accusations regarding an alleged site cover-up, which he argued had now collapsed. He added that the political battle was fought by a small group with the assistance of universities and expert witnesses, asserting that critics could not forgive him for ensuring the trial began. To defend his position, Floridis cited a train collision that occurred in Spain three to four months earlier, pointing out that no ministers resigned and no special tribunals were convened there. PASOK maintained that Floridis had acted in a deeply anti-institutional manner, repeating its demand for Mitsotakis to dismiss him immediately.