Greece’s main opposition party, PASOK, submitted a no-confidence motion against the ruling New Democracy government on Wednesday, escalating political tensions as public anger over the government’s handling of the Tempi railway disaster and broader governance issues continues to mount.

The motion comes in the wake of mass protests held across Greece last Friday, where demonstrators voiced frustration over the slow pursuit of justice for the 57 victims of the Tempi train crash and what they perceive as a cover-up and the government’s failure to address widespread institutional failures.

Tempi railway disaster

An image of the aftermath of the Tempi rail disaster where 57 passengers, mostly youth, perished.

It is the second time in a year that PASOK has attempted to unseat Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis through a no-confidence motion linked to the Tempi rail disaster. Last year, PASOK submitted another motion at the end of March following the release of audio tapes linked with the disaster.

Citing the government’s responsibility, mistakes, and omissions in the Tempi tragedy, as well as the cost-of-living crisis, the motion was backed by other opposition parties, including SYRIZA, Nea Aristera (New Left), and Plefsi Eleftherias (Course of Freedom).

PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis framed the move as a response to deepening public disillusionment, stating, “The no-confidence motion is a social demand. It reflects distrust in your political reliability. It is a response to your cover-up efforts and the shield of impunity that protects your officials.”

Mitsotakis, taking a hardline stance, dismissed the motion as a political maneuver aimed at exploiting public grief. “The opposition is using collective pain and the suffering of victims’ families as a political tool,” he charged, seeking to rally his party’s MPs, who have shown increasing unease in the wake of recent protests.

The massive turnout of Greeks at last week’s country-wide protests are indicative of declining support for the government, but cannot be attributed to the Tempi disaster alone. Greece’s political climate over the past few years has been shaped by a gradual erosion of public trust, fueled by persistent corruption scandals, economic hardships, and institutional failures.

An image of the Tempi demonstration of February 28, 2025, at Syntagma square in downtown Athens. Turnout numbered in the hundreds of thousands while protests were organized in other cities in Greece and throughout the world.

The record turnout at Friday’s protests highlighted growing frustration with a system perceived to prioritize political self-preservation over accountability. Allegations of police brutality  during the demonstrations further intensified public resentment, with reports and videos circulating of law enforcement using excessive force against the crowds of people.

Beyond the political sphere, socio-economic conditions and the impact of external factors have exacerbated public discontent. Greece’s slow and uneven recovery from the bailout era and the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with inflation, the impact of climate change and severe weather on Greece’s agricultural sector, a deepening housing crisis, and stagnating wages, has left many Greeks struggling to make ends meet. The average adjusted annual salary stands at €17,000—one of the lowest in the EU—while the minimum wage has increased to €830 per month. However, when adjusted for cost-of-living and consumer prices, real wages fall to approximately €693, leaving a significant portion of the population financially strained.

Meanwhile, the ruling party has been plagued by corruption allegations, most notably the high-profile Predator spyware scandal, which implicated Grigoris Dimitriadis, former prime ministerial chief of staff and a relative of Mitsotakis. Tensions within New Democracy have also surfaced. At last year’s Thessaloniki International Fair, Mitsotakis’ key economic policy announcements were met with a tepid response, even from within his own party. Months later, he expelled former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras following his vocal dissent, a move that signaled growing fractures within New Democracy.

PM Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sitting next to former PM Adonis Samaras.

Despite securing a landslide victory in 2023 with over 40.5% of the vote, Mitsotakis’ support has weakened. Recent polling shows New Democracy’s approval dropping from 26.7% in January to 23.1%, while 52.5% of respondents now believe early elections are necessary, up from previous months. Public sentiment regarding the Tempi disaster remains overwhelmingly negative, with 71.9% believing there has been a cover-up, 85% attributing direct responsibility to the government, and 86.2% stating that political figures should face criminal charges.

Broader concerns about corruption and institutional failure have been documented both nationally and beyond Greece’s borders. A Eurobarometer report reveals that 98% of Greeks believe corruption is widespread and a striking 71% of Greeks perceive corruption within political parties, compared to 53% in Europe. Meanwhile Transparency International has once again ranked Greece poorly in its corruption index, giving it a failing mark and placing it 59th.

Despite these mounting challenges, the no-confidence motion is unlikely to succeed, as PASOK and its allied opposition parties lack the parliamentary numbers to unseat Mitsotakis. The real question, then, is not whether the motion will pass but whether the prime minister’s hardline stance and promise of “political stability” in an increasingly unstable world will be enough to sustain his leadership amid growing public disillusionment.