The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is facing his biggest crisis yet following devastating rainstorms that left large parts of the country’s heartlands underwater. The disaster has claimed 15 lives to date, and health experts warn that the conditions are ripe for the spread of infectious diseases. The region of Thessaly, one of Greece’s richest agricultural areas, is particularly affected, and public health officials are urging residents to use only bottled water for personal hygiene, drinking, and cooking due to ongoing shortages.
The opposition leader, Nikos Androulakis of the social democrat Pasok party, has criticized the government’s handling of the disaster, stating that it failed to take adequate measures to prevent the floods. Androulakis pointed out that €240m had been allocated for the construction of anti-flood reinforcements after a rare Mediterranean cyclone hit the same area three years ago, but the quality of the work has been called into question. He demanded that the government apologize for its failures and inspect the anti-flood works that have been completed.
The leftwing main opposition Syriza party has also criticized the government’s lack of remorse and self-criticism, asking where the money allocated for infrastructure and anti-flood works has gone. The party’s front-runner, Efi Achtsioglou, accused the government of throwing away flood risk management plans and ignoring European Commission warnings about the importance of carrying out these projects. She demanded that the government take responsibility for its actions.
Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Via Kyriakos Mitsotakis/Twitter)The sight of flood-stricken villagers forced to cling to the roofs of their homes, waiting for help, has prompted widespread outrage. The torrential rains, which dumped a year’s worth of rain on central Greece in just 24 hours, have left a trail of devastation, with roads, bridges, buildings, and vital infrastructure destroyed or washed away. Entire villages remain underwater, and some settlements have been “wiped off the map.” The disaster has been described as a “national tragedy” in the media, with one editor comparing it to a “biblical catastrophe.”
Greeks are also upset about revelations that not enough aircraft were available to conduct search-and-rescue operations, despite the country spending more on defense than any other EU member state. In an unexpected criticism of Mitsotakis’s handling of the disaster, the editor of the pro-government Kathimerini newspaper called for the prime minister to put egoism aside and show leadership. He wrote that if the leader could not find suitable candidates on his own benches, he should look elsewhere.
The prime minister, who was voted into office for a second term after securing a resounding electoral victory, prides himself on his crisis management skills. However, the fallout from the floods has caused such consternation that insiders said it is likely that Mitsotakis will soon push ahead with a cabinet reshuffle to reshape his government’s dented image. The reshuffle is expected to happen once the PM returns from Brussels, where he will appeal for emergency funds to deal with the disaster in talks with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.