The government showed "great administrative insufficiency" during the extensive damage from natural catastrophes from adverse weather, newly elected SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Stefanos Kasselakis said on Thursday evening in his first television interview since assuming office.

Speaking to Star TV's main newscast, Kasselakis said that "the state apparatus cannot save lives. It is not Volos that is unlucky, it is the state that has not protected its citizens - we have not invested in prevention. The fact there is a climate crisis makes it even more important to protect citizens."

Kasselakis pointed out the need to reorganize the Civil Protection ministry, describing "a confusion of responsibilities among different services." Better coordination, a better organizational chart, and better absorption of funding would allow necessary works to happen. "It needs a lot of help from the state," he underlined, adding that he planned to pay another visit to Magnissia prefecture's port city of Volos, which has flooded twice in the last 20 days.

Asked to comment on criticism of him by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he responded, "It is better for the prime minister to focus on the state's modernization, not on me. The president of (Syriza's) parliamentary committee, Sokratis Famellos, can respond to Mr. Mitsotakis, who is responsible for lives relying on the state's modernization." Kasselakis also said he did not see a problem with not being present in Parliament himself (as he does not hold a seat in it), because MP Famellos' presence "is a relief and the work ahead is huge."