Miltiadis Varvitsiotis submitted his resignation from the position of Minister of Shipping & Island Policy to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the wake of the tragic incident that occurred in the port of Piraeus in which 36-year-old Antonis Kargiotis died.
Specifically, as Mr Varvitsiotis announced via social media: «The murder of Antonis Kargiotis by crew members on board the Blue Horizon has shocked us all. No one can imagine that Greek sailors, in violation of the age-old rules for the protection of human life at sea, pushed and abandoned an unfortunate young man in the murky waters of the port of Piraeus. I spoke with Antonis' family and conveyed our sympathy for their pain. I promised them that Antonis will not be forgotten and that I will do everything possible to honour his memory by doing justice to the extent that I can. Upon completion of the first phase of the Administrative Inquiry, I referred the responsible officers of the Coast Guard to the appropriate disciplinary board, completing my statutory responsibilities to impose disciplinary responsibility on those at fault. I hope that the Greek justice system will soon bring the real perpetrators to the dock, as they deserve. In recent days, however, I have also become the target of an attack that is becoming increasingly toxic.
A statement of mine that was easily misinterpreted caused outrage. I immediately asked for a sincere apology. In no way did I equate the victim with the perpetrators. In no way did I wash away the responsibilities of the shipowner, which the shipowner still refuses to accept. I have been in politics all these years because I have a deep sense of contribution to society and to my country.
I serve public life with principles and values. I have learned to accept my responsibilities and not to hide when things get tough. I may be a good politician to some, but not to others. But I don't accept being stonewalled as a human being. My political career and my personal dignity dictate that I should not remain in the position of Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Affairs.
That is why I submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister. I thank him for his trust.’.
