Immediately after returning from the scene of the tragedy, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Kostas Karamanlis In his statement, he resigned from his ministerial post “as a sign of minimal respect for the memory of the people who left so unjustly,” he said. The former minister, after taking responsibility “for the long-standing mistakes of the Greek state and political system,” said in a statement: “I have just returned from the scene of the railway tragedy in Tempi. The pain is inexpressible. It is a fact that we received the Greek railway in a state that does not correspond to the 21st century. During these 3.5 years, we have made every effort to improve this reality. Unfortunately, these efforts were not enough to prevent such an accident. And it’s very hard for all of us and for me personally.”

Mr Karamanlis added in a statement that “when something so tragic happens, it is impossible to continue as if it never happened. I have been in politics for several years, but I consider it a necessary element of our republic for citizens to trust the political system. This is called political responsibility”, and “in this regard, I announce my resignation from the post of Minister of Infrastructure and Transport”. Concluding his statement, he noted that “this is what I consider it my duty to do as a sign of minimal respect for the memory of the people who have gone so unjustly, and to take responsibility for the eternal mistakes of the Greek state and political system.” . From the bottom of my heart, I once again express my pain and support to the families of the victims.”

According to “K”, Mr. Karamanlis had already decided on his resignation during his visit to the scene of the tragedy and communicated his intentions to Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their joint stay there. In fact, according to the same sources, before Mr. Karamanlis released his statement, there was a new message in which he informed the Prime Minister of its exact content.