Charalakis: No to easy scapegoats

In his article, the Mayor of Kythira, Efstratios Charhalakis, shares his views on the issue of Civil Protection. Read his article.

No to easy scapegoats. No to the demonization of individuals. Yes to the truth.

On the occasion of today's (29-01) exceptional statement by the President of KEDE, Dimitris Papastergiou (https://kede.gr/d-papastergiou-proedros-kede-makari-ta-provlimata-na-lynontousan-me-epistoles-kai-nouthesies), Regarding civil protection issues and the responsibilities of municipalities and regions, I would like to share some of my views:

1. Was the «ELPIDA» phenomenon extreme? Answer: definitely YES. All meteorologists referred to it as the «phenomenon of the decade.» An extreme phenomenon is one that a region rarely or never experiences in terms of its intensity and impact. When members of parliament say that the phenomenon was not extreme and unprecedented, it simply makes them look ridiculous and nothing else. Of course, natural phenomena are always a source of joy for the opposition, because unfortunately that is our culture. But at some point, that will change.

2. Is it reasonable for municipalities in southern Greece to have snow removal equipment? Answer: NO. With the exception of mountainous municipalities that experience frequent snowfall at altitudes above 500-800 m, the other urban and lowland municipalities of southern Greece have never needed to have a huge fleet of snow removal equipment, precisely because extreme snowfall is extremely rare. Similarly, the phenomenon of widespread forest fires in Sweden in the summer of 2018 was extremely rare. No one blamed this northern European country for not having sufficient firefighting resources, which is why the then-new European civil protection system rescEU was activated. which was inspired and created by the then Cypriot Commissioner to the EU and current Greek Minister of Civil Protection, Christos Stylianides. Therefore, the view that «why didn't the Attica Region or such-and-such municipality have 200 snowplows on all roads at the same time» is utopian. So let's prepare for the climate crisis, but with clear support for local authorities, with clear responsibilities, with fewer stakeholders involved, and by finally listening to the experts.

3. Is the ATTIKIS ODOS company responsible? Answer: YES. Without any asterisks. And the penalties imposed on it must be huge. Both by the supervising Ministry of Infrastructure and by the lawsuits filed by the individuals who suffered.

4. Monday, January 24, should have been declared a public holiday on Sunday. The sudden departure of public and private sector employees at noon caused traffic chaos everywhere. The failure to declare Monday a public holiday in advance was a huge mistake. On the contrary, the decision by the regional and municipal authorities on Sunday to close schools (which some people, including local government officials, unfortunately mocked) was extremely effective. Can you imagine what would have happened if all the students had gone to school on Monday morning and were suddenly told to leave at noon? There would have been fatalities.

5. HEDNO: its responsibilities over time are frightening. No concern for undergrounding networks despite the constantly bombastic announcements. It is the only entity in Greece (if not in Europe) that is prepaid for the projects it undertakes without clear studies, without detailed preliminary measurements, without the usual public procurement procedures, simply because HEDNO is a monopoly and does whatever it wants. An example: for the undergrounding of the HEDNO network in the main streets of Avlemonas (in view of the major redevelopment project we are planning), HEDNO is asking for almost €616,000 excluding VAT (!!!) with a simple four-line note, without a full study. In fact, it is demanding that this money be paid in advance. When we prepaid €60,000 in 2015 for certain network extensions, it took the contractor almost three years to come and complete them (we warned them with legal action), but we as a municipality had already paid HEDNO. To bury three poles in Belvedere, he asked for €30,000! Really, HOW are these projects finally costed? At WHAT prices? Who can answer us? Everything at HEDNO needs to change YESTERDAY. (I exclude the ordinary employees of HEDNO who work day and night on the poles in extreme weather conditions so that we can have electricity...). Fortunately, the Australians are coming to build us a state...

6. Whenever extreme weather conditions are forecast (floods, fire hazards, etc.), mayors and local government officials in general receive various emails and text messages from the Decentralized Administration, the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, etc. They all have the same content: «rain is coming, take measures»! What measures should we take and how exactly, gentlemen of the state? Mayors and regional governors are NOT firefighters or police officers, nor do they have special training in civil protection issues, nor do they have to provide proof of a degree in crisis management in order to be declared candidates! The Municipality of Kythira, for example, with WHAT resources and WHAT personnel can take preventive measures against extreme phenomena? Do we have specialized personnel? NO. Do we have sufficient resources? NO. Do we have construction machine operators? NO. Is the annual fire safety funding sufficient? NO. To understand the extent of the state's inadequacy, consider the following: the fire season lasts 6 months (May-October), but the fire safety personnel we hire each year are only employed for 4 months! Zero logic. In 2017, the most incompetent Minister of Civil Protection since the restoration of democracy (based on the tragic outcome and without objection) had the audacity to accuse the mayor of an island for the appalling inconsistencies and inadequacies of his own disorganized ministry and mechanism. Fortunately, of course, the case is ongoing and everyone will be put in their place. So, to conclude: if you want to pass the buck to local authorities for floods and fires, you need to give them real support: resources, means, personnel, institutional protection. It is not possible that we have to obtain 10 approvals to prune a tree that will undoubtedly kill people if it breaks. We refuse to be the punching bag, the easy victim of the mistakes and inadequacies of the competent authorities, especially when there is now a Ministry exclusively responsible for Civil Protection. The responsibilities of local authorities are specific and they assume them. But that's as far as it goes. It is not the job of mayors to pick up the hose; that is not called a state, but a HOUSE OF TOLERANCE (to put it mildly).

7. Central management: without central administration and management of Civil Protection Policy, we will never become a serious State. We have 10 different operations centers and control rooms (God help us). We need ONE and only ONE, with the participation of all state authorities: the Armed Forces, Security Forces, Local Authorities, scientists, etc. With ONE and only ONE person in charge, without fragmentation of responsibilities and orders. Only then will we truly have effective procedures in Civil Protection. Let's learn from other modern States; it's not difficult.

8. In democracies, there is JOINT RESPONSIBILITY for everything. Whether certain self-proclaimed rights activists and pseudo-revolutionaries like it or not. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection informs citizens about ways and means of protecting themselves and their property against weather and natural phenomena. If citizens do not take these measures, YES, they are responsible, without this, of course, diminishing the responsibilities of the State in terms of the proper functioning of its structures and services. When a barbecue enthusiast sets fire to burn grass or cook burgers at 40 degrees and 8 Beaufort, YES, he is a CRIMINAL, and no State is responsible for such behavior. And this kind of education must be cultivated in schools, with special Civil Protection courses that should already be high on the agenda.
   I have been in local government since 1999 and I care about it perhaps even more than I care about myself. I will NEVER accept unfair criticism and the belittling of my colleagues when some people try to burden them with responsibilities and duties that they either do not have by law, or cannot objectively exercise because those who accuse them never bothered to give them the necessary tools, means, personnel, and resources.

Municipalities kept society afloat after 2010, when the state went bankrupt and collapsed, with their thousands of social structures (together with the Church).

Municipalities took on enormous responsibilities during the pandemic, even purely medical ones, without having any relevant authority.

Municipalities are always called upon to pull the snake out of the hole when the state is in trouble and finds itself in dire straits.

AS FAR AS HERE, HOWEVER!
At the upcoming extraordinary conference of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, things must be called by their name, without concern for who we might upset. Local government is neither pro-government nor anti-government; it is the first level of administration closest to the citizen, with very specific responsibilities, with minimal staffing, constantly decreasing resources, and elected officials who drive garbage trucks and throw salt on the snow without this being their responsibility. If some people envision this kind of local government, we say NO. We will fight the battles we have always fought for an independent and effective local government that will move towards local governance, as is the case in modern European countries.
PS: I am publishing my recent memorandum to Minister Christos Stylianidis, in view of the fire season. It is not enough that the constitutional position of elected officials is constantly deteriorating; we are not going to become firefighters in the end! Everyone must finally take responsibility! Period!