Charalakis to Souris: No right to interfere in the operation of Trifyllio

In a lengthy statement, the Mayor of Kythira, Efstratios Charhalakis, responds to the request of the leader of the main opposition in the Municipality, Zacharias Souris, regarding the case of the Trifyllio Cultural Center in Alimos.

He calls Mr. Souris foolish and accuses him of ignoring basic parameters of the issue, while arguing that the Municipality of Kythira has no right to interfere in the operation of the Foundation. He also claims that he tried to mediate in order to de-escalate the situation and bring about a joint meeting of the parties involved, but to no avail. Finally, he states that he has ABSOLUTE confidence in the President and all the members of the Foundation's Board of Directors. Read our Mayor's statement in detail:

Leave the Trifyllio Foundation alone, Mr. Souris!

At the last meeting of the Board of Directors, as well as in his party's recent press release, Mr. Zacharias Souris, among many unrelated issues (most of which we have already responded to), addresses the recent dispute between the Trifyllio Foundation and the Municipality of Alimos regarding the development of the building block near the Church of Panagia Myrtidiotissa on Kythirion Avenue in Alimos.

Mr. Souris and his ill-advised supporters seem to be ignoring basic concepts and parameters of the issue at hand, while their call to find «a solution that ensures the sustainability of the nursing home and takes into account the concerns of our fellow citizens in Alimos» clearly demonstrates that for someone in the opposition, everything is easy, everything can be done, everything can be achieved! However, this is not the case at all. This call reminds us of the familiar «find a solution» that every opposition party easily says and writes in its effort to prove that it is present in the face of every problem.

Trifyllio is a Public Benefit Foundation in the form of a Legal Entity under Private Law (LEPL), fully independent and self-governing, administered by a Board of Directors elected by an electoral body, in accordance with its Organization (Presidential Decree of 4/5/2023/Government Gazette B/2956/2023), and is strictly controlled by the competent state bodies (Ministry of Finance/Directorate of Bequests for the Foundation and Decentralized Administration for the Nursing Home), in accordance with the provisions of Law 4182/2013.

The Municipality of Kythira has NO right to interfere in the operation of the Foundation., However, whenever requested, he is willing to assist within the limits of his responsibilities and capabilities, recognizing the importance and usefulness of this Foundation in Kythira, as, among other things, it manages and determines the operation of the Kythira Nursing Home, which offers invaluable services to the elderly, something that the official state has never done, at least on our island.

Regarding the recent dispute between the Trifyllio Foundation and the Municipality of Alimos, Our municipality has absolutely NO authority to intervene directly, since the property in question is located within the administrative boundaries of the municipality of Alimos.. Nevertheless, the Mayor of Kythira has been in constant communication and cooperation with the Foundation for years and was informed from the outset about the dispute with the Municipality of Alimos, having already expressed his opinion publicly in his letter to the Foundation dated 18-01-2024, ref. no. 196/18-01-2024 to the Foundation. In addition, over the last two months attempted to mediate in order to de-escalate the situation and bring about a joint meeting of the parties involved, but without success, at least to date.

In particular, the Mayor of Kythira and the Mayor of Alimos, who both represent our country in the EU Committee of the Regions, meet frequently in Brussels and the issue in question has already been discussed between them., without our mayor being able to do anything other than issue a warning to defuse the tense situation.. The collegial ethics that should govern relations between mayors do not allow a mayor to tell another mayor what to do about an issue that falls within his own territorial jurisdiction. Indeed, if Mr. Souris were the mayor of Kythira, would he tell Mr. Kondylis what he should or should not do regarding the development of a building block in Alimos? Nonsense...

As regards the substance of the issue, it is clear that the majority has no knowledge of the subject (as is unfortunately the case with many other issues with which it only deals superficially), which in fact requires specialized knowledge of legal and urban planning issues, issues that are pending before the competent state authorities following an appeal by the Municipality of Alimos and, according to the announcements made by both sides, the next step is the courts, and it goes without saying that our Municipality has no authority or ability to intervene in either of these stages.
However, on this issue, it has also been made known through the announcement issued by our Municipality on January 18, 2024, that, if requested by Trifyllio, it is willing to provide its good services, recognizing the importance of the Nursing Home for the local community.

As regards Mr. Souris's demand for information and accountability on the part of Trifyllio towards the Municipality, this is completely inappropriate and unconstitutional, as Our municipality has no authority or involvement in the management and administration of a non-profit legal entity. Furthermore, the Foundation's press releases are very informative and detailed, and its annual financial management report is posted on its website with three financial statements, which it publishes every year and which illustrate its financial management, so that anyone can read, analyze, and draw their own conclusions.. Everything is posted on the Foundation's website, which Mr. Souris obviously did not bother to visit, basing his public statements exclusively on what third parties, who are completely ignorant of the issue, tell him or convey to him.

Specifically, regarding the finances of the Nursing Home, a recent extensive analysis was conducted by economist, member of the Board of Directors, and Municipal Councilor of the majority, Mr. I. Kasimatis, which may have escaped the attention of the majority.

Finally, it has become absolutely clear that until May 2023, when the new operating structure of the Trifyllio Foundation was published in the Government Gazette, it was not possible for permanent residents of Kythira to stand for election to its administration due to legal obstacles, which prevented the state authority overseeing the Foundation from requesting the change, something that is permitted under the new operating structure. All this is evident from very recent updates, which the author of Mr. Souris’ announcement does not seem to have taken into account.

The only red line for our municipality is the uninterrupted operation of the Kythira Nursing Home. And I personally have ABSOLUTE trust in the President and all the members of the Foundation's Board of Directors, and I am certain that they are fulfilling their duty. They act in accordance with the management of the property entrusted to them, and serve the interests of the people of Kythira through the Foundation's various charitable activities, the most important of which is the exemplary operation of the Kythira Nursing Home.

Any attempt by the opposition to challenge the municipal authority on issues that do not even fall within its remit clearly demonstrates its lack of arguments on local issues and, above all, its complete inability to formulate serious, feasible, and implementable proposals and policies., leads Mr. Souris and his faction down dangerous paths, which neither we nor the vast majority of Kythirians will follow.
The Trifyllio Foundation needs neither submitters nor late protectors!