Strong reactions to Voultepsi’s statement on fires and volunteers

A political clash has erupted over a statement by New Democracy MP Sofia Voultepsi, who claimed that the problem in dealing with wildfires is not a lack of equipment or personnel, but a shortage of volunteers. Her comments came as Greece is once again battling multiple fire fronts.

“I now believe that instead of making laws about uniforms and equipment, we must fight to increase the number of volunteers, because where patrols take place, things are easier,” she said.

Her remarks sparked outrage among seasonal firefighters, who responded sharply:

“Mrs. Voultepsi would do well not to speak at a time when thousands of firefighters and citizens are fighting the flames. Let her stay in her air-conditioned room and drink her coffee. People are losing their homes, firefighters are traveling sleepless across the country to the fire fronts, families are anxious. Shut up already — not everything is a matter of political spin.”

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a meeting at the National Crisis Management Coordination Center. PASOK criticized the government for “inaction and inadequate preventive measures” and noted that residents in Achaia, Chios, Zakynthos, Preveza, Kefalonia, Megara, Arta, and Aetolia-Acarnania were struggling for a second day.

Opposition criticism
SYRIZA-PS spokesperson Kostas Zachariadis accused Voultepsi of insulting firefighters and fire victims, asking if Mitsotakis would “finally rein her in.”

Voultepsi replied by citing the report of internationally renowned German professor Johann Goldammer, which refers over 90 times to the value of volunteers in fire prevention and response. She noted that SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos had also stressed this in a 2023 parliamentary speech. She further accused SYRIZA of never voting for the Goldammer report when in power, and criticized the party for downgrading arson from a felony to a misdemeanor under the Penal Code it passed before the 2019 elections — a change later reversed by ND.

Other parties also reacted strongly:

KKE MP Giannis Giokas called the situation “a continuous crime” and urged the government to stop hiding behind extreme weather.

Greek Solution leader Kyriakos Velopoulos accused the government of prioritizing wind turbine installations on burnt land.

New Left leader Alexis Haritsis said the country “needs oxygen,” which it cannot get “as long as the scorched-earth Mitsotakis government remains in power.”

Government sources countered that this year Greece has 18,000 firefighters — the highest number ever — plus 1,500 forest commandos.

Source: Paratiritis News