Efstratios Harhalakis: Mr. Souris, please, keep it up just like that!

It was clear to us that Mr Souris does not know the administration, but it is now clear that he is not even adequate on the minority benches. His insistence on dealing with the various issues only for reasons of petty politics and sterile opposition, having only superficial knowledge and ignoring the substance, exposes him irreparably to the Kytherians. A striking example is the issue of the Trifyllion Foundation, for which Mr. Souris issued a new statement, trying to «tidy up the mess», not being able of course to oppose even a single point of our well-founded response, for which dozens of our fellow citizens and institutionalists continue to express themselves positively. We will not return to this issue, our position was clear.
We will also not return to the well-known divisive and localist paraphilia about «abandoning the northern part of Kythera» because we have responded with the Mayor's Sunday message on 21/01/2024. In it, all the projects, actions and planning of the Municipal Authority for the communities of the northern part of Kythera are mentioned in detail, refuting a much-played myth that has gone beyond the limits of the graphic. And when in politics you become picturesque, then you certainly ensure total oblivion for your name and any public career.
As for the issue of the parade and its alleged abolition in the River, whatever we say about the attitude of the Opposition in general is too little. Hastily, acting tactically and with the aim of creating impressions only, without investigating what is actually the case, they have generously given localist concepts the opportunity to move from obscurity to the limelight. The statement by both the PTA and the Municipality's Board of Directors is clear and any further discussion is superfluous. However, it also raises some questions: how is it possible that some supporters of Mr Souris, who over the years for reasons of ideology and party affiliation have been against the parades, are now supporting them? Is it a need to declare attendance or a simple kick in the ass?;
But let's look briefly at some other issues that Mr.Souris intertwined, in an attempt to declare that he is «present» in the problems of the country.
1. Road network: NO Mr. Suris! Not «the same mess» as last year! Because since last year, important road projects such as the Copper and Mormoris roads were completed, the Makronas road is being completed, we auctioned the Diakopoulianika - Karavas road and we are completing the study for the Fournoi road. We are planning a major study to upgrade the roads throughout the island and we have requested 450,000€ from the Region to update the studies for the main road (the design cost of road projects is 12,000€/km +VAT). Projects are done based on the maturity of the studies and the availability of funding sources, not on magic wands and theories.
2. Hospital: Mr. Souris should address the competent Ministry and the Ministry of Health, and obviously the Governor, and not the Municipality. When someone blames every problem on the Mayor, then apart from being a populist, he risks failing miserably in the public role that the citizens have assigned to him. However, the recent announcement of 5 permanent doctor positions at the hospital did not come about by chance.
3. Post Office/Banks: NO Mr. Souris! It is not the responsibility of the Municipalities to open or close them, they are private organizations, not Municipalities' NPOs! In the era of digitization of everything and AI, we have to get used to the fact that all transactions will be done electronically, even with the public sector and our physical presence will not be required. Anything else is populism and localism together. And perhaps we should remind Mr. Souris that we have made the best use of the ground floor of the Potamos Town Hall where the EIB was housed: we have created a modern CCP and an exhibition space - a benchmark for Potamos (has Mr. Souris really visited the Antikythera Mechanism Exhibition?). However, neither Livadi and Karvounada (a coincidental example) have a bank and a post office, but this in no way prevents their development as shopping centres.
4. Sewer: we've said it all. Those who invested politically in the cancellation of the southern sewer project have failed miserably. Those who profited from the appeals of certain construction companies have suddenly gone silent. Those who were spreading the word that the project is illegal and other gibberish have gone into hiding. So to Mr Souris's phrase «you know the sewerage system» we reply: We do! Do you?;
5. Not much needs to be said about supporting the primary sector. We are the Municipal Authority that, through the LEADER programme, has substantially supported olive growing on the island, resulting in the fundamental modernisation of olive oil cooperatives. Through the same programme, almost €7 million of public expenditure has been made on the island in some 55 investments in the primary sector, catering, services and tourism. Perhaps we should apologise for the reduction in olive oil production and for the climate crisis, always, of course, according to Mr Souris, who, in the absence of arguments, is confusing a whole range of issues, thinking that this is how he is performing his role.
We leave for last the audacity with which Mr. Souris refers to the Deputy Mayor Mr. Strategos and the Councillor Mr. I. Kasimatis. This has to do with the obvious loss of memory that Mr Suris has. Because during the years that he was a councillor (again on the Opposition benches), i.e. the period 2015-2019, he was present at 25 Board meetings and absent at 74! 74! The popular saying goes that «in the house of the hanged man there is no talk of rope», but we will get to the bottom of it. First of all, in order not to leave any shadows hanging, we must make it clear that there is no institutional - legal obstacle to the residence of both the councillors and the deputy mayors. None! Besides, Mr. Kasimatis and Mr. Strategos fully comply with their obligations, as defined by law, but also as required by the duty to serve the interests of the citizens and our place, they regularly attend the Boards, they introduce in full the issues of their competence, answer clearly to every question.
Everyone knows (and surely Mr Suris should also know) that most of the important current affairs of the Municipality are in Athens and the services and public authorities there. It is therefore our need and obligation to have an institutional representative of our Municipality in Attica to represent the Municipality whenever and wherever required, based on the instructions of the Mayor. After all, common sense dictates that the most remote Municipality of Attica should have representatives in the decision-making centres, so that the interests of our country are served in the best and most effective way.
In conclusion, we can only point out that the product of the time, it is proven that the opposition speech of Mr. Souris and his party lacks substance and basic seriousness. Many issues together, half of them are the responsibilities of the municipality, the other half are not, superficial references, lack of knowledge of essential issues, repeated stereotypical opposition expressions that one finds by the dozens on the internet, words, words, words, no feasible proposal. We thank him, however, because in this way he helps us to continue unhindered with the implementation of our programme, which was approved in the elections by the citizens, by the same citizens who rejected his own tactics and practices through their votes.
Good night, Mr. Suris...