Evi Tsapari is gradually healing from the trauma of escaping a burning passenger train after a collision that resulted in numerous fatalities in central Greece. However, she continues to seek justice.
Investigators have attributed the disaster to safety failures and decades of neglect within Greece's railway system, yet no high-ranking politicians have been investigated for the worst rail crash in the country's history. Critics argue this is partially due to laws that shield them from prosecution.
Tsapari is among 1.4 million people who have signed a petition to overturn these protective laws, although progress is hindered by ongoing legal debates.
"I feel somewhat cheated and fooled," Tsapari expressed.
On the second anniversary of the train crash, hundreds of thousands protested, driven not only by frustration over the lack of safety reforms but also by a deep-seated mistrust of government and politicians following a series of disasters and scandals in recent years.
This growing anger is likely to weaken Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose popularity has declined in the polls since his re-election. He recently replaced the transport minister in response to the public outcry.
Mitsotakis and his center-right government, which has been in power since 2019, deny any wrongdoing regarding the train crash, asserting that institutional strength has been maintained under their governance. "The rule of law is stronger than ever in our country," he stated last month.
Despite the passage of two years since the train crash, significant safety gaps persist, and a judicial inquiry remains unresolved.
Mitsotakis has reiterated a commitment to modernizing the railway network by 2027 and plans to engage a foreign company to handle its maintenance. However, relatives of the victims have accused the government of attempting to cover up the truth, a claim that officials deny.
In an effort to clear his name, a former minister has requested parliamentary charges for breach of duty. Parliament has until October to investigate other ministers before a statute of limitations takes effect, as noted by former deputy prime minister and law professor Evangelos Venizelos.
Tsapari, like many others, pin her hopes on a constitutional provision that permits citizens to propose legislation to parliament after gathering 500,000 signatures. Although the petition she signed has garnered nearly triple that amount, the clause is inactive because the government has yet to issue the necessary act for its implementation, according to legal experts.
"I don't believe that the powerful will ever let things change," Tsapari remarked.
Critics emphasize that distrust in politicians predates the 2023 rail disaster. "This is not just about the train crash; it is about how the government and justice system have addressed it," said Eva Cosse, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch in Athens. "The crash revealed deep-rooted issues with governance, accountability, and the rule of law."
Other recent tragedies include the 2018 wildfire in Mati, which killed 104 residents waiting for evacuation, and the 2017 flash floods that claimed 25 lives due to the authorities' failure to act on prior safety warnings and the state of the infrastructure. These incidents occurred in the wake of a decade-long debt crisis that had seen successive governments slash wages and pensions.
"We will burn, we'll drown, we'll be killed, and no one will be held responsible," said Kalli Anagnostou, a survivor of the Mati fire.
Since the 1990s, Greece has faced numerous political scandals, including embezzlement and sales of overpriced bonds to pension funds. A 2022 wiretapping scandal led to the resignation of Mitsotakis' closest aide after surveillance software was discovered on numerous devices belonging to politicians and journalists. The Supreme Court prosecutor later dismissed the case.
Despite these scandals, only a few individuals have faced accountability. Parliamentary committees tasked with investigating ministers require the approval of a majority of lawmakers to proceed.
An October EU survey revealed that only a third of Greeks believe that democracy and the rule of law are adequately protected in the country, marking the lowest confidence level in the bloc. Greece ranked second worst in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index in 2024, despite a gradual improvement over the previous decade.
"We have no expectation that our case will be treated fairly within a reasonable time," stated lawyer Alexandros Papasteriopoulos, who represents the relatives of Mati fire victims. "Politicians are untouchable."