The debate and vote in the Greek Parliament on whether to conduct a preliminary investigation into potentially lifting the parliamentary immunity of government figures involved in the Tempi railway disaster definitely won’t go down as a glorious day for Greek parliamentarianism. No, we’ve definitely seen better.
But it did bring a chapter to an end. Not so much with a result that surprised no one—only one minister is to be investigated, and for a misdemeanor rather than a criminal charge.
But for the way in which (most) parties and MPs clearly distanced themselves from the conspiracy theories, alternative facts and crackpot ideas that have typified the public debate on Tempi for two and a half years now.
Needless to say, we were subjected once again to the same old rhetoric, evasions and exaggerations.
We also heard ill-founded legal claims that were reflected in the motions to indict—the “parents’ indictment proposal”, for example, which certainly has no legal precedent (or basis).
But at least the nonsense about xylene smuggling, NATO weapons for Ukraine, vaporized carriages and missing bodies were finally put to bed.
What’s left is a tragic railway accident that cost too many lives.
And an opportunity to take a more sober and rational look at the case and ensure it’d tried, and accountability assigned, in accordance with the rules of a contemporary rule of law.
Though I’m not overly optimistic about that.
Tempi still has its audience; it may be smaller than it once was, but it’s still out there. And wherever there’s an audience, figures from the world of politics and beyond will be keen to act as their spokespeople.
Or to attempt to do so, at least.
Including demonstrations, interviews and denunciations, their repertoire is as inexhaustible as it is repetitive. And, one might say, tiring.
Still, none of that will prevent justice from running its course. And in this sense, the vote in Parliament and the committee to be formed as a result will most probably bring the political cycle of responsibility to an end.
The rest will be left for the courts and the ballot box.
But like I said, I’m not that optimistic. Given how easy we find it to believe the unbelievable and reject the credible, it’s far from certain the case will be allowed to proceed undisturbed along the path of justice.
All the more so in the case of Tempi, in which so many now have a vested interest and will fight tooth and nail to keep the political ambitions riding on the case alive.
Especially when the opposition is having such a hard time finding a suitable receptacle for its rhetoric. For better or worse, Tempi “was a solution of sorts”.
And as long as the opposition (of every stripe) finds it difficult to articulate a convincing alternative to the current administration—as long as it fails to pull off the surprises it needs to enter the game—it will keep seizing on every controversy that comes along.
