Strasbourg, 17 June 2025 – The European Parliament has finally shone a spotlight on the Tempi case, thanks to a joint initiative by the European Democratic Party, the Renew Europe group, and the Movement for Democracy (κίνημα Δημοκρατίας). The Tempi tragedy on 28 February 2023, in which a head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train near Tempi in central Greece killed 57 people, mostly young university students, shook Europe to its core. It was not just a railway tragedy; it also highlighted serious shortcomings in transport safety, as well as a critical erosion of the rule of law. Greek institutions were unable to guarantee truth, justice, or the independence of the judiciary.
During the day, Parliament hosted a public event organised by the European Democrats, with leading European politicians in attendance, including EDP Secretary-General Sandro Gozi, Basque MEP Oihane Agirregoitia, Movement for Democracy President Stefanos Kasselakis, and relatives of the victims: Maria Karystianou, Pavlos Aslanidis and Theodoros Eleftheriadis. The attendees strongly denounced the concealment of evidence, political pressure on the judiciary, and the threats they had received. They also highlighted that the Greek railway system remains unsafe to this day. Maria Karystianou said, “We have no answers to our questions. We do not have a proper investigation. We are in limbo… It is painful to have to seek justice for a crime that took place in your own country, outside your own country.’ Pavlos Aslanidis added, ‘This is not negligence; it is an institutional cover-up,’ recalling the destruction of his son’s biological evidence. Theodoros Eleftheriadis denounced the inaction, saying, “Nothing has changed. As if 57 deaths were not enough.” Stefanos Kasselakis emphasised: “For many of us, shedding light on the Tempi crime is a national goal. Today is an opportunity for the victims’ relatives to turn to Europe. Tempi is a European issue because it happened on EU territory and involved European citizens, who must feel safe wherever they travel.’ Valérie Hayer of Renew Europe thanked Kasselakis, saying: ‘We did not realise how serious the situation was. Thanks to your courage, Tempi is now a European issue.’
Thanks to the efforts of the EDP and Renew Europe, the European People’s Party’s attempts to block the debate were overcome, and the case was brought to the attention of the plenary. The most impactful moment came in the afternoon with Sandro Gozi’s speech in the plenary session. Gozi is an MEP and secretary-general of the EDP: ‘Tempi was not a simple accident. It was predictable. The signs were there, as were the resources. But the state failed. Now they are trying to reduce everything to a technical error to avoid taking political responsibility. This is not justice.” Gozi denounced the political pressure being exerted on the Greek judiciary, the widespread violations of European law, and the manipulation of public opinion. “Tempi is a symptom of a crisis of the rule of law from within. The Commission has opened an investigation into railway safety failures. But that is not enough. The truth is not negotiable. Justice cannot wait. Silence is no longer an option.” The European Democratic Party reaffirms its commitment to supporting the families of the victims and to protecting the fundamental principles of the Union: transparency, democratic accountability, and defence of the rule of law. If a Member State fails to ensure the safety of its citizens or interferes with justice, Europe has a duty to intervene. The EDP will not abandon the families of Tempi: without justice, there can be no democracy; without truth, Europe will lose its soul.
