Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras offered a partial “mea culpa” on Friday, four days after a deadly wildfire swept through a pine-covered coastal resort east of Athens, saying “past distortions” led to the catastrophe.
Nevertheless, in the same statement, he said he assumes fully political responsibility. He added that his leftist-rightist coalition government, sagging in all approval ratings, has no intention of “fleeing from its responsibilities”.
At the same time, he did not mention resignations, while asking for respect for the victims, and also insinuated that the opposition is exploiting the deadly incident for political gain.
He spoke during an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, which was again broadcast live by the state television station.
