Última actualización Lunes, 12/05/2025
Two years ago, a tragedy shocked Greece. A passenger train and a freight train collided head-on, marking one of the deadliest rail disasters in modern European history. Greek society was about to change.
On 28 February 2023, a couple of minutes before midnight, news broke out that a big railway crash had just taken place in the valley of Tempi, just a 2-hour drive from the city of Thessaloniki. Over a hundred passengers were injured (later confirmed to be 180), many severely, and the number of dead was initially reported to be around 36. Many died from the collision itself, but the explosion and the fireball that followed claimed the lives of many victims, who were burned alive and whose bodies had to be identified through DNA testing.
The Tempi rail crash traumatised Greek society. And soon after, when the official investigation started and the conditions under which the disaster happened were revealed, the people demanded answers. The tragedy brought into the spotlight the dire state of the Greek railway system, the misuse of funds aimed at improving the existing state and the shortcomings of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation. As the investigation unfolded, the rule of law, the integrity of the judicial system, and even the political system itself started to be questioned by the public. That outcry started the demand for justice for the crash victims, but also an existential democratic crisis that has been present in Greek society.
Under extreme pressure from the public, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Konstantinos Karamanlis, resigned the day after the crash, claiming responsibility for “the mistakes the Greek state and political system have made through the years”, only to be re-elected three months later as a Member of Parliament. In an outrageous irony, just 8 days before the crash, when confronted by the opposition in Parliament about the safety of the railway, Karamanlis had exclaimed, “Shame! It’s a shame that you are raising safety issues, and I’d like you to take it back immediately […] we ensure safety.”
On the days that followed the crash, the death toll rose to 57, a number now etched in the memory of the Greek people. Suspicions arose about the explosion which had occurred following the collision and which, according to scientists, had been disproportionate to the size of the two trains, with many speculating that the freight train might have been transporting dangerous liquid chemical solvents that had not been officially declared beforehand.
Shortly after the tragedy, in March 2023, massive protests erupted all over Greece, with more than 2 million people participating. The phrase “Call me when you get there” became the main protest slogan, symbolising the love and care of parents when saying goodbye to their children who embark on any ordinary trip.
The survivors, the parents and the relatives of the victims founded an association, briefly called Tempi 2023, mainly with the purpose of raising awareness for the tragedy and fighting for justice and transparency in the ongoing investigation. Many members of the association faced relentless criticism from high-ranking officials and members of the governing New Democracy party, which tried to downplay the government’s involvement in the tragedy. Most attacks were aimed at Maria Karystianou, one of the most vocal members of the association and mother of 20-year-old Marthi, who died in the train crash. Mrs. Karystianou has been constantly speaking out for the victims, even addressing the European Parliament on behalf of the association. High-profile members of the governing party have publicly accused her and her efforts of attempting to gain a role in Greek politics. She is currently not a member of any political party.
Despite the obstacles encountered, the association has never stopped seeking justice, with the overwhelming support of Greek society, also managing to collect over 1.3 million signatures through the online platform change.org. The petition aims to abolish legal immunity for ministers and commence an inquiry concerning the involvement of ministers responsible for train safety, after a related revision of the Greek Constitution. More than 40 people, including high-ranking officials, have been involved in the investigation of the case so far, some investigated for having failed to carry out the necessary upgrades to the system, such as implementing the European Train Control System and centralised traffic control.
The case of Tempi and its investigation have brought to light many deep-rooted issues of the Greek judiciary system. Ministerial immunity has been at the centre of intense debate, since it has stood in the way of investigating the responsibility of high-ranking officials involved in such cases, as well as of ministers who failed to implement safety measures and projects. European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kovesi, began to investigate the failure of Greek officials to implement an EU-funded contract aimed at reconstructing and upgrading the signalling system and remote control on Greek trains but faced difficulties because of the above-mentioned immunity. Illustrative of the mentioned shortcomings is her rhetorical question: “How many tragedies like the one at Tempi need to happen for us to understand that corruption kills?”.
Amidst growing discontent, on 28 February 2025, exactly 2 years after the tragedy, one of the biggest demonstrations in the history of Greece took place to commemorate the victims of the crash. Protestors gathered all around the country and the world in over 380 places, including outside the Parliament in Athens, but also in Thessaloniki, Patras, Brussels, London, Amsterdam, and Berlin, to name a few. It is estimated that more than a million Greeks demonstrated for justice that day.
The Athens protest was by far the largest and was mostly peaceful, with many people declaring that it was the first time they had taken to the streets. One of the protesters, 40-year-old Maria, reveals: “I protest for justice. I have two kids, and I can’t imagine what the parents of the victims are going through. In the faces of the victims, we see our children, we see ourselves.” Unfortunately, the peaceful protest was disrupted by clashes between a few protestors and the police, whose reaction was considered by many as exaggerated.
People of every age and profession, including many students and workers, went on a 24-hour nationwide strike that day, overcoming social, political and ideological differences to express solidarity with the families of the victims, but also frustration because of serious suspicion of a cover-up by the government.
Many commemorative events and protests have taken place since 28 February, with many more probably to come, as justice still seems far away, with a judicial investigation still ongoing and the cause of death of many of the victims still not established. The massive protests and the overwhelming support received by the families of the victims have created a sense of unity amongst Greeks, who now demand more than ever democratic reforms and a crackdown on corruption.
Trust in democratic institutions is at an all-time low (7 out of 10 Greeks believe that Justice is not independent), but the mobilisation of almost the entire country has given a glimpse of hope that change is not impossible to achieve if there is a will and, most importantly, civic participation. Greek democracy is undergoing one of its biggest tests, but this time, society is not awaiting change, but actively fighting for it.
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Young Journalists in Europe – Meet the author
Alexandros Tsianakas
“My name is Alexandros and I am studying Mathematics at the University of Athens. I have always been interested in politics and economics and I spend most of my free time reading books and articles about international relations, political economics and history. For me, current developments and events are history in the making and journalism is the most efficient way of recording it.”
Article collaborators: Friederike Kroeger, Oliver Čechmánek, Guilherme Alexandre Jorge (Lexi)
This article reflects the views of the authors only. The European Commission and Eurodesk cannot be held responsible for it.