Greece's Minister for Citizen Protection Resigns Amidst Wildfires, Prompting Criticism and Calls for Accountability

Following the outbreak of wildfires across Greece, the country's minister for citizen protection resigned on Friday after he was spotted on vacation on the beautiful island of Patmos.

The minister, Notis Mitarachi, responsible for public security services, including the police, had assisted the fire service in combating the wildfires in various tourist destinations, near towns, and military bases in the past two weeks.

Local media outlets reported that eyewitnesses had seen Mitarachi on Patmos island during his holiday. Greek newspaper Kathimerini stated, "He showed up yesterday morning on a faraway island to start his holiday, boarded a boat for a few hours and then returned in the early afternoon as if nothing was wrong, with bathers in the area wondering if they are seeing properly."

Mitarachi cited "personal reasons" for his resignation, which was accepted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Yannis Oikonomou, the alternate sports minister, will take over the position.

The government is facing criticism from opposition leaders over its ability to control the wildfires. The situation intensified after a wildfire spread to a military warehouse near a major air base, causing ammunition to ignite and leading to significant explosions.

The main political opposition party, Syriza, questioned, "Since ministers have started resigning for 'personal reasons,' is anyone thinking of taking responsibility for the images of collapse and destruction we are witnessing these days?"

As temperatures in Greece reach historic highs, the battle with wildfires continues. The fire service reported that although the wildfires have been brought under control, firefighters are still dealing with flareups.

According to Greek authorities, five people have died and 74 have been injured due to the wildfires over the past week.