Snowstorm Greece: Greek Prime Minister apologises for snowstorm ordeal

Snowstorm Greece: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologised on Wednesday for the state's unpreparedness to deal with the impact of a severe snowstorm that brought transport in Athens to a halt and left thousands of drivers stranded on a main city motorway this week.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologised on Wednesday for the state’s unpreparedness to deal with the impact of a severe snowstorm that brought transport in Athens to a halt and left thousands of drivers stranded on a main city motorway this week. Heavy snow is rare in the Greek capital but the country has now been hit by extreme weather for a second consecutive winter.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his introductory statement to the Council of Ministers apologized to the citizens.It is worth mentioning that the procedure by which the compensation will be given to the trapped drivers on Attiki Odos has already been announced.”But problems, let’s be honest, did not exist only on Attiki Odos. There were also on main roads of the basin. “It is clear that things did not go well there either and we must examine the causes that led to this situation and adjust our plans,” he stressed.

The whole attitude of the prime minister

Good morning. I want to start by asking for a personal and sincere apology from our fellow citizens who suffered for many hours, being trapped on Attiki Odos.There are very clear responsibilities to the concessionaire for the way it dealt with this latest blizzard. These will be fully investigated based on the existing legislation, but also the terms included in the relevant contracts with the State.

Private entities that manage, not with negligible profit, critical infrastructure, have obligations. First, to be able to keep their path of responsibility open. This happened on the Athens – Lamia National Road. Unfortunately, however, it did not take place on Attiki Odos. That is why the decision to give 2,000 euros immediately to the drivers who were tested there.

And, as announced by the Minister of Infrastructure, there will be compensation for those who traveled with TRAINOSE and suffered unjustly.

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