Look into my eyes

Speaking in Parliament, the Prime Minister insisted that he looked us in the eyes and assured us that there was no cover-up in connection with Tempi, and even looked towards the Parliament gallery where relatives of the victims of the tragic accident were sitting.

At the same time insisting that his government and ministers bear no political responsibility for Tempiand also that there was no editing of leaked conversations, and even that there was no question about the possible illegal transportation of flammable materials on a cargo trip, and his government is practically did everything right.

Why has the Prime Minister not called for an inquiry at all levels to answer the critical questions that remain unanswered and to overcome the shadow cast by all those chosen steps and actions that de facto meant that evidence was destroyed or was not found.

The Prime Minister, in return, spoke in parliament and said that if you have 41%, 158 members of parliamentThat he himself can determine what is white and what is black, so there is no question of proving guilt in principle.

I want to be clear. Of course, I did not expect the Prime Minister to go to parliament and agree with what the opposition accuses him of. He has every right to defend his government's performance and try to reduce political costs. However, basic democratic responsibility demands that the Prime Minister lead efforts to fully investigate this matter to avoid any cover-up, explain why there were practices that suggest a cover-up and, obviously, assign accountability, which the public is strongly calling for.

This responsibility to guarantee the investigation process was completely abandoned by the Prime Minister, relying on his parliamentary majority, the same majority that was recently used to prevent the procedure of the parliamentary committee of inquiry from turning into, in fact, a mere protocol with a list of conflicting opinions.

Moreover, the Prime Minister has not only taken it upon himself to refuse to discuss how the actual investigation into the matter will be conducted, but has chosen to invoke baseless “conspiracy theories” against him, clearly targeting supposed “enemies” without even bothering to name them .

Only this is the tactics of the Prime Minister – refusal of any dialogue, avoidance of institutional steps that could really contribute to what we are obliged to do for offended victims, that is, to reveal the truth and strengthen behind the “black and white” logic, where the truth and supposedly, only the government majority, which is hunted by everyone else, has reason – simultaneously reflects arrogance and weakness.

After all, a truly strong government would not be afraid of a joint investigation with the opposition, would not be looking for “enemies”Not “would point the finger” constantly and obviously would not respond to society's suffering and greater awareness of the enduring depth of the problems (and responsibilities) with mere words “it was a human error”.

It is no coincidence that this position of the Prime Minister causes concern even in the government itself, which was surprised, in particular, by the dismissal of two ministers for attending a social event, apparently with the knowledge of the Prime Minister and in agreement with him – a dismissal that does not comply with the rule “don't shoot the messenger.”

I understand that the Prime Minister feels infinitely powerful, because even now the polls give him a comfortable lead over the opposition. But he does not understand that the distance between the crest of power and the beginning of the fall is sometimes almost imperceptible. Falls, which are most often the result of mistakes and decisions, going against the will of the people, and not “conspiracies”.

Especially in such conditions, when the government's position directly contradicts not only the public sense of justice, but also common sense, an attempt to create enemies with reference to economic and business interests who prey on the “good” government and do everything to shake it. This is provocative and dangerous because it betrays the reaction of the Mitsotakis government to the criticism, scrutiny and investigations that the press must carry out when it honors its role as the “fourth estate” and does not change it to the role of a paracentral power.

The position of Prime Minister is perhaps the highest privilege in a democratic country like ours. This privilege alone comes with the greatest responsibility. Not before the “party”, but before the Greek people and the institutions of the Hellenic Republic.

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