Regarding the amendment concerning the protection of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as recent reactions surrounding Justice, Justice Minister Georgios Floridis took a stance, speaking on ERTnews with Kostas Papachlimintzo and Katerina Douka. Mr. Floridis characterized the government initiative as “primarily unifying,” emphasizing that its goal is “to protect the supreme monument of our nation, where national memory and the struggles of the Greek people are honored.” As he noted, “there we pay tribute to our dead and there cannot be division around such a point.”
Referring to the opposition’s reactions, the minister expressed surprise that SYRIZA and PASOK do not intend to vote in favor of the amendment. “The national monument cannot be divisive. It is a sacred space and is not suitable for socio-political protests. There are other spaces, just a few meters away, like Syntagma Square,” he noted characteristically.
Responding to allegations that the regulation restricts the right of assembly, he emphasized that “no one prohibits gatherings – simply the nation has an obligation to protect the memory of its struggles.” When asked why the government is proceeding now with the vote on the measure, Mr. Floridis replied that “some things mature over time,” adding that the decision is not connected to the recent hunger strike by the father of the Tempe victim, Panos Routsi.
Floridis on the Routsi case: “Justice faced blackmail”
The minister referred extensively to Justice’s stance in the Routsi case, arguing that “Justice faced blackmail, as an extreme protest began without any prior request.” According to him, “those who instigated the hunger strike attempted to blackmail Justice to reopen the investigation,” naming Ms. Zoe Konstantopoulou.
As he explained, “Justice tried to find a solution without violating procedure – it satisfied the person’s request and led the case to trial on March 23rd.”
When asked about poll findings showing low levels of public trust in Justice, Mr. Floridis attributed this image to “systematic undermining organized over the past two and a half years around the Tempe tragedy.”
As he noted, “people were led to believe a huge lie, that there was illegal cargo that exploded and caused passenger deaths. This conspiracy, which proved false, hit Justice.”
According to the minister, “the investigation was exemplary and the case is being brought to trial in unprecedented time by European standards.”
Trial for Tempe begins in Larissa – “We started from scratch”
It should be noted that the trial for the deadly Tempe railway tragedy is scheduled to begin on March 23, 2026 in Larissa, in a specially configured space at the University of Thessaly. This is one of the largest trials in recent years, both in terms of case file volume – more than 60,000 pages – and public interest.
ERTnews journalist Elpida Koutsogianni reported on the SYNDESEIS program that the hearing will take place at the Conference Center of the Gaiopolis Campus of the University of Thessaly, which has already been configured into a 283.75 sq.m. courtroom with spaces for 36 defendants, lawyers, witnesses, and journalists. As she noted, 33 of the 36 defendants face the felony charge of disrupting transportation safety, while three are referred for misdemeanors. According to the report, these are two Italian technicians from “Hellenic Train” company and a member of the committee that approved the transfer of the station master from the fatal shift, despite the age limit provided by law.
Adjacent to the main hall, auxiliary spaces have been configured: a witness waiting room, lawyers’ area, foyer, and a press room of only 17 sq.m., something that already causes concern about media coverage conditions.
Justice Minister Georgios Floridis, speaking on the same program, emphasized that the choice of Larissa and the specific space was necessary and organized early, so the trial could proceed without delays. “Such a space doesn’t exist even in Athens. We started from scratch, in cooperation with the Thessaly Region, judicial authorities, and police. The building was renovated and fully equipped with a modern electronic system,” the minister stressed.
As he explained, the main hall will house judges, defendants, and about 200-250 lawyers, while adjacent spaces have been provided for the public, journalists, police, and judges’ deliberation.
Regarding the absence of political figures from the defendants’ list, Mr. Floridis clarified that this is provided by the Constitution. “Political figures are examined by Parliament and, if referral occurs, they are tried by the Supreme Special Court. They cannot be tried through ordinary procedure,” he explained, adding that if referred, there will be a separate trial for former Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis and Deputy Minister Christos Triantafyllou.
Victim exhumation remains pending
When asked about the exhumation of tragedy victims, the minister noted that related procedures have not proceeded, as “requests from interested parties are pending, such as from Ms. Konstantopoulou, for appointing a technical advisor.”
Justice delivery speed improves – Goal to clear all cases by 2026
Significant progress is being recorded, according to Justice Minister Georgios Floridis, in the effort to accelerate justice delivery in the country, with changes already being implemented in courts and culminating by 2026. Speaking on a television program, the minister emphasized that “Greece is gradually winning the bet of faster justice delivery,” noting that the first positive signs are already visible.
“It’s being won,” he said characteristically, explaining that first-instance jurisdiction unification and magistrate court abolition “freed about a thousand judges, who now strengthen district courts.” As he noted, Athens District Court doubled the number of serving judges – from 400 to 745 – while performance “now exceeds new cases entering.”
The minister noted that within this judicial year, approximately 15,000 cases pending from previous years are expected to be cleared. The goal, he said, is for cases to be scheduled within six months from January 1, 2026, instead of four years as happened until now.
He made special reference to the will publication reform, which from November 1st will be done by notaries. As he noted, “a procedure that today takes 400 days will be completed in 3 to 7 days,” without additional cost for citizens. This way “about 100 judges” and equal judicial staff are freed to strengthen other areas.
Mr. Floridis noted that similar reforms, such as transferring annotation and association cases to lawyers, “unburden the judicial system and allow judges to focus on essentials.”
Responding to questions about his political intentions ahead of elections, the minister clarified: “I haven’t discussed with anyone. I was called to participate in a government to make changes that will remain in the country. The rest doesn’t interest me. I’ve had enough of that,” clarifying he won’t be a candidate in upcoming parliamentary elections.
Finally, regarding political processes in the center-left space, Mr. Floridis limited himself to stating that “whatever is being conceived will likely bring realignments, but it’s early for estimates,” while assuring that the government isn’t worried about new parties: “The government is judged on its relations with the people and the problems it solves. That’s the essence.”