ATHENS (Reuters) -Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday gained a confidence vote referred to as by the principle opposition over his authorities’s dealing with of a snowstorm final week that stranded hundreds of individuals on a motorway and drew public outrage.
The chilly entrance that hit Greece on Jan. 24 blanketed the nation in snow, from Athens to its islands. About 3,000 automobiles grew to become trapped on the capital’s fundamental ring highway for hours, with authorities having to name within the military to evacuate them.
Authorities confronted widespread criticism over their dealing with of the intense climate circumstances regardless of warnings from meteorologists.
In his tackle to lawmakers forward of the vote, Mitsotakis referred to as the censure motion “a determined transfer” that was “clearly doomed to fail.”
He mentioned the federal government had confronted unprecedented crises since coming to energy in 2019, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, and, referring to the snowstorm, accused the principle opposition Syriza celebration of “intrumentalizing a pure catastrophe” to pile strain on the federal government.
The conservative authorities, which enjoys a cushty majority within the 300-seat parliament, gained by 156 votes to 142.
Syriza submitted the no-confidence motion saying the federal government had failed in its obligation to guard the nation. It additionally accused it of mishandling the pandemic and rising costs, and referred to as on the federal government to resign.
“Only with elections and a progressive authorities with Syriza in its core will this downfall finish,” Syriza chief and former prime minister Alexis Tsipras instructed parliament.
As properly as bringing transport in Athens to a halt, the storm, named Elpida, disrupted flights and left hundreds of households with out energy for days. The authorities declared two days of public holidays final week, shutting public providers, non-essential companies and faculties.
Mitsotakis has apologised for the state’s lack of preparedness, however mentioned duty lay with the personal operator of the Attiki Odos motorway.
Recent polls performed earlier than the snowstorms confirmed the ruling New Democracy main by greater than 10 factors over Syriza, however in addition they prompt the federal government’s picture had been damage by the pandemic and inflation.
The subsequent common election is due in 2023.
(Reporting by Karolina TagarisEditing by Peter Graff and Toby Chopra)
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