A new opinion poll conducted by the research company ALCO suggests that a large majority of Greeks believe those truly responsible for the country’s deadliest rail disaster in recent years will never face justice. According to the survey, 73 percent of respondents think that the real culprits behind the Tempi train crash will not ultimately be punished, reinforcing a widespread public perception that accountability will be avoided.
The Tempi disaster, which occurred in 2023 and resulted in dozens of deaths, remains one of the most traumatic events in recent Greek history. Even three years later, the poll shows that distrust remains deeply embedded in public opinion. Two out of three respondents said they believe there was an attempt to cover up aspects of the case following the accident, although that figure has declined slightly compared with previous surveys.
The poll also examined public attitudes toward Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ personal performance in office. Although the results show a modest improvement of about two percentage points since last November, public sentiment remains largely critical. Fifty-two percent of respondents expressed a negative view of Mitsotakis’ performance, while 23 percent said they were only somewhat satisfied. According to ALCO’s chief executive, Kostas Panagopoulos, this is the highest level of mild satisfaction recorded over the past year, though it still remains relatively low.
Despite this dissatisfaction, the survey also highlights the absence of a widely recognized alternative leader. More than half of respondents, 54 percent, said there is no other political figure who could perform better as prime minister, while 15 percent said they were unsure or declined to answer. Overall, roughly seven in ten respondents did not identify a credible alternative. Support for other prominent figures remains limited, with former prime minister Alexis Tsipras and PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis each receiving 5 percent in the question about potential alternatives, while Maria Karystianou and Zoe Konstantopoulou each received 2 percent.
The poll also asked participants to name the most successful ministers in the current government. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias ranked first by a considerable margin, with 34 percent, followed by Kyriakos Pierrakakis with 16 percent. Pierrakakis’ increased visibility is partly attributed to his recent election to a leadership role within the Eurogroup. Among voters of the governing New Democracy party, the same two ministers also top the list of the government’s most successful figures.
Public skepticism also extends to the government’s response after the Tempi disaster. When asked whether sufficient steps had been taken to ensure the safety of train travel, 68 percent of respondents said the government had not done what was necessary. While this figure is lower than the 81 percent recorded a year earlier, researchers say the perception that railway safety remains inadequate appears firmly rooted in public opinion.
Finally, the survey touched on a broader social concern: the growing number of incidents involving violence over minor disputes in public spaces, a phenomenon that has increasingly appeared in Greek news reports. A majority of respondents, 53 percent, said such incidents occur frequently. Panagopoulos described the findings as both worrying and depressing, suggesting they reflect deeper tensions within Greek society.
