In snow plowing operations Civil Protection will proceed, in case of snowfalls and extreme weather phenomena, as well the tender for the specific machines in the Region of Attica has not been successful, said the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, speaking in the morning speaking on the ANT1 TV show “Good Morning Greece”.

“The contest runs from 7/20/23, I’m following it. We reached 1/12 the contest is blocked. The participating companies have “hit” each other and that is an issue”, noted the minister and added: “I will speak with the Minister of Justice, Mr. Floridis, I also spoke with Mr. Patoulis and Mr. Hardalia which takes over in a few days. The alternative process is for the Regions to go to the contractor registry and with a quick process lease snow plows. Because I am not satisfied as it has to be done a day or two before the weather phenomenon, so before Christmas I bring them all to the Ministry of Civil Protection, to see how many machines they have and where they will be deployed. However, if necessary, for the safety of the citizens, we will do our work with subpoenas”.

Mr. Kikilias pointed out that the role of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection is to coordinate and exert pressure so that there is maximum preparedness in the management of extreme weather events, which are increasingly frequent due to the climate crisis.

In the context of strategic planning with an emphasis on preventionas the minister recalled, on September 1st he sent relevant letters to Regions and Municipalities for the necessary anti-flood works, while at the same time he made “crude” autopsies in rivers and streams.

Regarding the snowfalls, a meeting has already been held with the concessionaires of the highways and a relevant strategic plan has been drawn up, while similar actions and meetings have been held with first and second grade Local Government bodies.

“Our former leaders should have the right to position themselves however they want and on whatever issue they want”

Vassilis Kikilias, answering a question about the former president of New Democracy, A. Samaras and the passing of the provision for granting residence and work permits to illegal immigrants, underlined: “Antonis Samaras is a man I love and he is a politician which I respect. He is a former president of New Democracy and a former prime minister of the country. And we in our faction have the culture that our former leaders have the right – and the obligation if you want – to position themselves however they want and on whatever issue they want. This has been true since the pardoned honorary president of New Democracy, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, until today. Well, I will not be the one who will comment on what he said and the way in which Antonis Samaras was positioned. There is a pluralism in the New Democracy which also explains our poll percentages, there is an opportunity to express yourself as you see a very, very large part of society and this is always done in a democratic way and in the right way. Now if you are asking me about our Members of Parliament should we have informed them better and should the people have given their views even though the Committee was briefed, I say yes, I feel that our Members of Parliament should have been better informed and earlier and have submitted their opinions, whatever they may be, substantiated. In Parliament, colleagues have the right to express their opinion.”