The island of Rhodes is where the heart of local government beats today, as the Annual Ordinary Congress of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) begins, which will last until Saturday, November 9. The congress is under the auspices of the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who will declare the opening of the proceedings and has a central motto: «Restart. Strong Municipalities. Every day, next to the citizen».
At 11:00 this morning at the hotel «Rhodes Pallas», the conference will begin with the welcome by the President of KEDE, Mayor of Ampelokipon-Menemeni, Lazaros Kyrizoglou, the Mayor of Rhodes and President of the South Aegean Regional Council, Alexandros Koliadis, and the Regional Governor of the South Aegean, George Hadjimarkos. The President of the Republic will then declare the opening of the meeting.
This is the first conference of the current term of office (2024-2028), which is taking place at a special juncture for municipalities that are called upon to adapt and take a leading role in a context of complex requirements for the organisation, operation and development of the institution.
This was preceded by a fruitful pre-conference dialogue within the bosom of the country's leading trade union body of local government officials, during which all the critical issues that concern them and that they wish to put forward at the congress were highlighted.
These include: the forthcoming administrative reform, the economic viability of municipalities, digital transformation, the consequences of the climate crisis, security, housing, poverty reduction, energy self-sufficiency, the development of cities in human terms, the forthcoming consolidation of the public utilities, the institutional upgrading of the institution of self-government and the elected political staff. At the same time, they will co-decide the new political agenda of demands for the re-launch of local government.
Apart from the mayors and local government officials from every corner of the country, ministers, deputy ministers, party leaders, representatives of the Union of Regions (EN.PE.) and local government associations from Cyprus, secretaries general of ministries and presidents of organizations and state bodies are expected to be in Rhodes this weekend.
PASOK/KINAL president Nikos Androulakis is expected to address the conference this morning. as well as the secretary of the Communist Party of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitris Koutsoumbas and representatives of SYRIZA and Eleftherias.
The Minister of Interior, Thodoris Livanios, will address the event, followed by an honorary event for the former presidents of KEDE, Paris Koukoulopoulos and Nikitas Kaklamanis.
During this three-day event, which starts today, speeches will also be delivered by the Ministers of Environment & Energy, Theo Skylakakis, Climate Crisis & Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou and Social Cohesion & Family, Sofia Zacharaki.
Speeches will also be made by deputy ministers of these and other ministries.
The conference will close (apart from the adoption of a resolution) on Saturday afternoon, with an event dedicated to the memory of the late Mayor of Rhodes and President of the South Aegean PED, Fotis Hadjidiacos.
