Following the online meeting on the topic of «New Deal,» the discussion continues online once again, this time with interesting opinions and articles on both Facebook and Kythera.News. This afternoon We published Panagiotis Gianniotis's opinion piece, who took his own approach to the topic of the «New Deal» by focusing on the content of the online discussion, writing, notably, that «It's good to have these kinds of discussions, but the organizers and participants should also propose ways to implement their suggestions.».

Two of the organizers, the Spyros Michalakis and Yannis Koronaios, continued the discussion by responding to the opinion of the municipal employee and tourism promotion officer. It seems that the dialogue has only just begun, and this is a positive development for our country at a time when public debate is limited, especially due to the pandemic but also because of the lack of initiatives in recent times.

We are including here the comments of our two compatriots, as well as one more comment from him Panagiotis Gianniotis, which we find particularly interesting.

Spyros Michalakakis (response)

«Panagiotis, we sincerely thank you for your comments. I'm not sure how many discussions of this kind have taken place in the past, but in this particular case, the enormous interest and the very high level of direct and indirect participation show that it is useful. I also believe it is helpful for a discussion to be linked to the broader context of the topic of development (since in many cases discussions are conducted in a fragmented manner, which creates contradictions and distortions). The example of the Astypalaia plan illustrates how this can be avoided. We, too, share the same concern about the next steps. It is a fact that if ideas remain just ideas—especially at such a high level—we will not see any change. More specific planning and action are needed, and it is our ambition that the next steps be precisely that. As you know, we don’t have an official role that allows us to guarantee immediate action; our goal is to “spark” thought and mobilize—and to join in ourselves. Finally, if you believe you can contribute, we would greatly appreciate your participation in these or other initiatives (or to join others that you and fellow citizens might launch).»

Panagiotis Gianniotis (reply)

Spyros, thank you for your comment on my post. I think that, in essence, our views are the same. What I have to say is that Kythira, aside from being a world of its own—«Un mondo fa un mondo, e il Cerigo un altro mondo»— it differs significantly in many ways—which I don’t have time to analyze right now—from the rest of the Greek islands; therefore, models that have been implemented on other islands are very difficult to apply here. That is precisely why I referred to “different, innovative, and perhaps unconventional proposals” that should be put forward. This, after all, is a discussion we can have in person at some point. In my post, I’m actually describing what I’ve experienced here on the island for many years now, hearing the word «development» repeated over and over again by many different people—both political and non-political— sources—which has made me wary, not so much of the intentions of those who use it, but mainly of the ways in which it is implemented. In any case, I am available in my free time to you and to any organization where I can help with ideas, suggestions, or actions aimed at fostering unity and cooperation among the island’s residents—which will, in turn, bring about the much-desired «development.».

Yannis Koronaios (response)

«Dear Panagiotis. First of all, I want to thank you for following the discussion, as well as for your comments. I agree with many of your observations. However, I’d like to offer a few comments: 1) You write that since 1985 you’ve participated in dozens of meetings that didn’t yield any tangible results. Have you ever wondered why? Could it be because they were held for show rather than substance? Could it be because the model of governance and intervention they were promoting ultimately benefited the same old power brokers? Could it be because the “equation” was missing those who (along with everyone else) have done this before in their lives and know how to implement programs? Is it time to change that? 2) You’re right to point out that there’s a certain generality to the proposals. To be precise, the description in our proposals goes only so far—whether that’s far or not so far. However, it would be disrespectful to our interlocutors if we told them, “Here’s the little suit—put it on.” Since we’re inviting them to participate, we also expect their own suggestions so that we can arrive at the appropriate course of action. 3) I actually find the observation about the oil interesting. It may be a cliché (we’ve all discussed it dozens of times), but it gives me the opportunity to reiterate my own observation that it’s not enough to want something—you also have to be able to do it. Building and establishing a brand (“Kythira” in this specific case) requires the input of people who understand marketing, who understand sales promotion, and who understand communication. Fortunately, today there are many people from Kythira and Kythira enthusiasts who possess these skills. We aim to mobilize them so that they can contribute their expertise to an effort that failed in the past precisely because these skills were lacking. Panagiotis, I assume you, too, are one of those who have observed the inefficiency of the public sector when it is staffed by people whose résumés consist solely of “party credentials.” People who don’t understand the daily struggle to “earn a living.” I believe it is essential for public institutions to integrate private-sector experience. This can be achieved to a large extent through our proposal and the cooperation of all those we describe in it. In this spirit, I thank you for your contribution and for the opportunity you have given me to share some of my thoughts. Yannis Koronaios»

Panagiotis Gianniotis (reply)

Fortunately, Yiannis, I’ve managed throughout my life to maintain what I consider to be an objective perspective, both as a civil servant and as a “professional” within our family businesses. I also understand your approach to the topics of “marketing, sales promotion,” etc., which you mention here. It makes sense that all of you would take this approach to the issue, which is, of course, correct. However, Yiannis, this approach is not the foundation of the issue. All these efforts run up against the most significant problem that has existed on the island for decades—one that we, the island’s permanent residents, experience firsthand—and unfortunately, none of you mention it: the lack of people willing to work in the primary and secondary sectors. When we—and then the government—encourage our children to live and work in front of a computer, possibly in some other country, how will the primary sector become attractive, and how will your proposals be implemented? Speaking daily with people who work exclusively in the primary and secondary sectors, I believe that if we don’t start with them (these people), there won’t be any kind of development. What’s the point of sophisticated marketing for honey, for example, if you don’t have a product to sell, since producers haven’t yet been convinced that there needs to be a unified standardization under the «Kythira» brand? As for the inefficiency of the public sector when staffed by individuals whose résumés consist solely of “party credentials,” I agree, with just one caveat that I’ve been repeating for many years in various discussions. In my view, the public sector—and especially the municipality, since I imagine that is the point here—must be a helper and supporter of the private sector. The municipality cannot be a farmer, a hotelier, or a businessperson. However, it can accept well-documented proposals from organizations and collective bodies and implement them institutionally and financially in collaboration with them. Over the years, at least as far as tourism is concerned, I am not aware of any proposal that came from an organization and was not accepted by any mayor or city council. I could tell you much more in the context of a substantive discussion—one that is, of course, completely outside the realm of political debate—but I’d prefer that we talk in person sometime. Thank you for taking the time to «read» my post.