Greek PM rules out Cabinet reshuffle, in wake of massive flood damage in Thessaly plain

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday ruled out any pending Cabinet reshuffle, in fielding numerous questions during a wide-ranging press confidence in the northern city of Thessaloniki, a day after giving a customary state-of-the-economy address on the sidelines of a major trade fair there.

As expected, most press questions focused on massive flood damages in the Thessaly plain, the result of last week’s unprecedented rainfall in central Greece, with Mitsotakis at times deflecting criticism of alleged deficiencies in flood protection works or a sluggish state reaction, while at other times unveiling measures for quicker and more effective crisis management, relief and restoration works.

“No one, I believe, was in a position to predict exactly what happened, precisely because it had never been seen before,” he said, referring to the intensity of the storm Daniel, which pour record-breaking rainfall on Greece’s largest plain and the adjacent Mt. Pelion range.

Mitsotakis said he never claimed that no mistakes were made in dealing with the storm’s damages, but will now focus on how “we can improve and become more effective”. He subsequently announced that the national meteorological service (EMY) and the national observatory of Athens will be placed under the civil protection ministry’s auspices.

Asked if Greece was “doomed to burn in the summer and then drown?”, Mitsotakis all countries in the Mediterranean basin now face similar extreme weather, with the phenomenon here to stay. Further queried, he said he has no intention of proceeding, at present, with government reshuffle.

In changing themes, and specifically in answer to questions regarding relations with neighboring Turkey, Mitsotakis first cited an upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, before saying any joint recourse to the International Court at The Hague is “still a long way off”.

“Greece has not changed its strategy towards Turkey, but my desire is to be able to talk with Turkey, and for our issues to resolved on the basis of international law; so things aren’t taken to extremes when we disagree,” he stressed.

“Rapprochement with the West is in Turkey’s best interests, and it knows that rapprochement with Europe comes through good relations with Greece. This is a tool we have at our disposal for improvement of Greek-Turkish relations. We shouldn’t expect issues from the past to be resolved overnight, but we can agree that when we disagree things shouldn’t be taken to extremes.”