Government survives no-confidence vote over Tempe audio editing
ng [InTime News]
Welcome to the weekly round up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The government survived a motion of no-confidence this week, a widely expected result, with its majority and one independent MP rejecting it. The motion was submitted by center-left PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, who attacked the government over its alleged efforts to cover up its responsibility in the deadly rail collision in Tempe last February. It was also signed by a total of 83 MPs from PASOK, main opposition party SYRIZA, the New Left, and Course of Freedom. What spurred Androulakis’ decision were claims that the government had tampered with audio recordings, allegedly between the stationmaster and the train driver at Tempe, to emphasize the culpability of human error in the disaster. “The government has avoided answering who has access to the material (audio) and who edited it to bolster the theory of human error,” said Androulakis, who also accused the government of “systematically undermining the rule of law”. The three-day debate in Parliament was, as expected, a very heated affair. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis strongly criticized Androulakis and the leader of main opposition SYRIZA Stefanos Kasselakis. Kasselakis had earlier called for the resignation of the government, stating that it would put an end to the “political impasse”. During the debate, the leader of SYRIZA’s parliamentary group Sokratis Famellos stated that Greek society had turned against the government, noting that “90% of citizens no longer trust you”. Famellos also said that the prime minister had insulted parliament, Greek society and the relatives of the victims of Tempe when he was absent during the parliamentary debate on the rail disaster last week. “You have been forced to come here”, he said indicatively. In his address, the prime minister scrutinized the motive of Androulakis in submitting the motion of no-confidence, heavily implying that the latter is being used by business interests in Greece. “At the helm of this country will be those voted by the many, and not few powerful people”, he said, adding that “anyone who thinks that everybody has a price, is very wrong.” For his part, the PASOK leader accused the government of “corruption, cover-ups, and acting with impunity” in the Tempe case. Following the end of the debate, Androulakis announced his intention to ask the Supreme Court to investigate the doctoring of the Tempe recordings. “There must be an investigation … the Greek people must know the truth,” Androulakis said. Spotlight
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OPINION
 [InTime News]On Thursday, President Biden will host a ceremony at the White House celebrating Greek independence. Some have questioned the usefulness of these annual gatherings, claiming that they lack substance and serve only public relations purposes. Even if the Greek American community is not as powerful as some claim or believe, one cannot deny the simple fact that it is one of the very few ethnic communities for which US presidents have been organising an event like this on an annual basis. It is no small thing that the leader of the world’s strongest political, military and economic power recognises the role of Greek Americans and Greece. It has developed into a White House tradition for almost four decades now – it was started by Ronald Reagan in 1986 – and that by itself says something. Actually, it says a lot. Whatever the reason – a sincere moral recognition of the community’s role, or a cold political calculation of the benefits a president can derive from a specific community – one cannot but conclude that Greek Americans are a force to be reckoned with. And that, by extension, benefits their mother country in so many ways. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK |
 The size of the gambling industry in Greece grew significantly between 2014 and 2023 in terms of its Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), the difference between the money gambled by players and their winnings, according to the Hellenic Gaming Commission. GGR, which was recorded at 1.7 billion euros in 2014, increased by 55% in 2023, to approximately 2.6 billion euros. Cumulatively, GGR over the ten years in question stands at approximately 13.1 billion euros, with state revenues of approximately 3.7 billion euros. Revenue from online gambling dominates Total Gaming Revenue (TGR) of 2.7 billion euros in January 2024 (out of a total of 3.6 billion euros). |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL |
| “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,422.35 points on Friday, down 0.20% from last week. This marks the first month of decline after four months of consecutive growth for the benchmark, declining by 0.17% from February.” |
| “The government announced a 6.4% increase to Greece’s minimum wage, bringing the monthly gross up to 830 euros. This is the fourth increase in five years, as households continue to be squeezed by inflation and an increase in the cost of living.” |
| “The Piraeus Port Authority SA, owned by Cosco, posted record-high turnover and profits in 2023, with revenues up 12.9% from 2022 and profits after tax rising by more than 26.3%. The port of Piraeus saw a 12.4% increase in cruise ship calls, while its container terminals maintained growth of 2%.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA |
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Editor's Pick Europe is exploited for political objectives by both sides at will. It is an abstract concept with flexible breadth, fitting into many molds.Xenia KounalakiRead the article |
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