It is in progress open speech by Kyriakos Mitsotakis in G. Katehaki Square, at Venetian Port of Chania.

In the morning, the Prime Minister visited the President of the Republic and requested the dissolution of the Parliament by announcing elections.

With the issuance of the presidential decree for the dissolution of the Parliament, the pre-election period officially begins.

Already, early in the morning, feverish preparations began in Katehaki Square in Chania so that everything would be ready for the speech by setting up the platform, adjusting the lighting and sound.

The Prime Minister arrived in Chania in the early afternoon and immediately went to visit the former “Taxiarchou Dimitrios Markopoulos” Camp, which is granted to the Municipality of Chania for use.

The concession of Stratopedos to the Municipality of Chania was a constant and long-standing request of the entire local community of Chania and now the Municipality will be able to utilize this area for the creation of a Hyperlocal Recreation Park, for the benefit of all residents of the wider area.

The Prime Minister discussed with the Mayor of Chania, Panagiotis Simandirakis, the benefits of the concession and handed him the document with the concession contract from the Ministry of National Defense.

The following dialogue took place in detail:

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: We are now delivering the free concession, according to use, after the decision of the Ministry of National Defense, of the camp. And until the acquisition, of 52 acres, only the two buildings remain in use by the Ministry of National Defense. Here, I think it is an important contribution to the substantial improvement of the quality of life in the city of Chania.

As you said, Mayor, it was a request of many decades, a camp which has practically been inactive for a long time and I think that this decision of ours also comes, in continuation of many other corresponding decisions we have made, with the aim of utilizing the schooling property of the Armed Forces , always for the benefit of local communities.

Now the responsibility passes to the Municipality, in order to quickly carry out the relevant studies. We will always be helpful in the effort that the Municipal Authority will make, so that in this very special place something truly extraordinary, something beautiful will happen.

We can help put you in touch with the best architects, to make something that will be a point of reference for the whole city of Chania for many decades, to be enjoyed by visitors, but above all by all Chanians.

Mayor of Chania: I, Mr. President, want to thank you warmly, to say that today we are closing a cycle of approximately four decades of claims. Claims of citizens, movements, the whole of the Self-Government and I would like to say that we are delivering to the people of Chania a vital space. A vital green space, which they need so much.

And this – and I have to say it publicly – is thanks to your own catalytic intervention, which led to the overcoming of entanglements, difficulties and objections that existed all the previous years.

I think your political will at the moment brings us to the point where your name is now associated with this historic day for Chania and it is the absolute responsibility of the Municipality, of each Municipal Authority, to highlight this area as a green area, recreation, as a breathing space for the people of Chania.

So, I would like to thank you, on behalf of Chania society, that finally, in a meaningful way, from Monday the Municipality’s crews will be inside the “Markopoulos” camp, to do the first works, so that we can finally hand it over to the citizens.

Today, the “Markopoulou” camp is handed over to the Chania community. Today we close this circle and open a next one that I think will bring a quality of life to the people of Chania who deserve it.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Let’s also assure the few residents – citizens who I saw protesting outside the site, that we are talking about a green space, we are not talking about a new building at all, unless the Municipality chooses it, which I think is reasonable, that some refreshments but always with light constructions.

We are talking about a green, recreational, sports area and really, as I look at the area, I am absolutely convinced that something really exemplary can be done, which will essentially be a new landmark for the city of Chania.

Such a large green space has been missing for many years. And I am very happy to connect our own governance with this ten-year-long, as you said, claim of all Chanians.

Mayor of Chania: We discussed during the visit to your office and I conveyed to you this request of the Chania community. You got it straight and routed all the necessary steps.

And I would like to say, in the last few weeks we have opened most of the Municipal Garden. There, therefore, every day hundreds of children, old people, young parents, are there and enjoy the urban greenery. This is what I want the people of Chania to imagine on a scale of 52 acres.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: When the Municipal Garden is how many acres? 17. We are talking about three times the size of the Municipal Garden.

Mayor of Chania: So don’t worry, we are not going to build this last green lung. Let’s show him off in the best possible way.

I want to thank you again. I would also like to thank Ms. Bakoyannis for the constant communication we had, as I also owe a big thank you to Mr. Hardalia who, as I said, did not just have the baguette to coordinate, he had something even more like that…

Nikos Hardalias: We implement the orders of the Prime Minister and in the time he requests.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: You see that the Ministry of National Defense is used to executing.

It is noted that this is an important initiative in the context of the cooperation of the State, Local Government and local society, with the aim of the holistic development of the Chania area. The aim of the concession is to make it possible for citizens to access this public space, to stimulate the local market, to improve the standard of living, to protect the environment and to create new jobs.

The property was granted to the Municipality in order to turn it into a green space, while it has an area of ​​52 acres, it is located within the urban fabric of the city of Chania, in a particularly densely populated area and until now it was owned by the National Defense Fund (NDF).