At the consecration at Palagia Evros Primary Schoolwhich suffered serious damage from the recent fires but was restored in a record time of just 20 days, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was present for the start of the school year.

“We managed and achieved, working together, a small miracle, as in just a few weeks a school that was practically destroyed opens its doors again for our students, for their teachers, better than it was before. And I want, first of all, to thank each and everyone who worked so that we can be here today and celebrate the consecration of this school that you love so much, the services of the Municipality, the parents first and above all – that I know how much you put in so that we could be here today”, noted the Prime Minister in his greeting.

“I want you to know that throughout this effort we will stand by you. And here, for the school, which will become much better than it was before”, emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “Besides what we will do at school, we have a lot of work to do around the school. And I want to inform you that the relevant restoration studies of the area around Palagia have already been launched. We have the cost. We have already found the relevant sponsors, so that we can immediately start the restoration of the natural environment, the anti-corrosion works that need to be done and then all together to help nature, which very quickly, I am sure, will do its job to make this very beautiful place green again. Of course we will do the same for all of Evros”, he added.

“No matter how great the adversities are, we never give up. We recover and rebuild better what nature’s fury destroyed”

Referring to floods that hit Thessaly, the prime minister said: “I want, my dear children and dear teachers and parents, today our thoughts go to another part of Greece which, unfortunately, is being tested even more than you were tested. In Thessaly, where unfortunately people lost their lives, many of our fellow citizens lost their homes through a devastating flood the likes of which we have never seen before in our country.”

“But I want you to know that no matter how great the adversity, no matter how great the difficulties, we never give up, do we? Never down. We always recover, we always look ahead with optimism and rebuild better, not just rebuild, we rebuild better what the fury of nature destroyed”, underlined Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In addition to the repairs, which were completed in a period of less than three weeks thanks to funding from DEPA Emporia so that the school complex could welcome students and teachers on the first day of the school year, in the next period it is planned to carry out energy upgrading works of the building, which will include installation of thermal facade and replacement of the frames. At the same time, among other things, the construction of a gymnasium and a library is already being planned.

“The state was by your side, the state will be by your side, as the prime minister said. And of course, this school today becomes a symbol for the whole country, that after adversity, after difficulties, even after disasters, we always manage to improve, we always become better, we always manage to rise again”, he noted from his side the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

“Today we have the pleasure of consecrating a much better, much more beautiful school than the one you left in June and it will become even more beautiful,” said the Principal of Palagia Primary School, Dimitra Vourdoglou, and added: “A big thank you to you , Mr. Prime Minister, who with the special sensitivity and love for our Evros, you quickly, personally, provided a solution to the financing of the restoration project of our school”.

The event was welcomed by the Mayor of Alexandroupolis, Yiannis Zamboukis. The President of the Association of Parents and Guardians of the school, Filippos Ketikoglou, thanked, among others, the government for the speed with which the restoration works were carried out.

The entire speech of the Prime Minister

“My dear children, dear teachers, dear parents,

First of all, happy school year, with lots of smiles and more optimism.

I wanted to be here with you today, in Alexandroupolis, in your village, to mark with my presence this new beginning that we are all called to do, after an extremely difficult summer, not only for Evros but overall for all of us the homeland.

Indeed Your Excellency, here we managed and achieved, working together, a small miracle, as in just a few weeks a school that was practically destroyed opens its doors again for our students, for their teachers, better than it was before.

And I want, first of all, to thank individually each and everyone who worked so that we could be here today and celebrate the consecration of this school which you love so much, the services of the Municipality, the parents first and above all – that I know how much you have put in so that we can be here today.

But also a special thank you to DEPA Emporias and to the Managing Director, Mr. Xifaras, who from the first moment I called him on the phone asking him to operate the school within a few weeks managed and carried it out, in cooperation with the Municipality , this mission and we are here today and we can and do this consecration.

I know, friends, how much Evros was tested this summer. I also know that it will take time to heal our wounds. But I want you to know that throughout this effort we will stand by you. And here, about the school, which will become much better than it was before.

From what I understand you guys want another basketball court to build, don’t you? A football field, we need that too, a 5×5. To hear, what else do we want?

So, we have many plans for the school and I want you to know that already, in cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations and the private sector, in the coming months your school will really become much better. We have a lot of requests here. Well, I’m going to ask you all to get together, guys, put it in a nice letter and tell me what else you want us to do at school and we’ll do it.

But apart from what we will do at school, we have a lot of work to do around school. And I want to inform you that the relevant restoration studies of the area around Palagia have already been launched. We have the cost. We have already found the relevant sponsors, so that we can immediately start the restoration of the natural environment, the anti-corrosion works that need to be done and then all together we can help nature, which very quickly, I am sure, will do its job to make this very beautiful place green again. We will of course do the same for all of Evros. We will have the opportunity to talk about this later.

In closing, I want, my dear children and dear teachers and parents, today our thoughts go to another part of Greece which, unfortunately, is being tested even more than you were tested. In Thessaly, where unfortunately people lost their lives, many of our fellow citizens lost their homes through a devastating flood the likes of which we have never seen before in our country.

But I want you to know that no matter how great the adversity, no matter how great the difficulties, we never give up, do we? Never down. We always bounce back, always look ahead with optimism and rebuild better, not just rebuild, rebuild better what the fury of nature destroyed.

A big “thank you” to all our teachers, here from Palagia. Mr. Minister, the beginning of the school year is always a ray of optimism, especially for our first-timers, who come to school for the first time. But to all teachers, across the country, a big “thank you” for all that they do and will do. We have very ambitious plans for how we’re going to support them, how we’re going to upgrade our schools as a whole.

And I want you to know, Mr. Mayor, Mr. District Governor, that I will be here again in your village, to see the progress that will be achieved in the wider area and also in your school. And very soon I will be able to play basketball and football with the children, when we have built the fields that you want so much.

Happy New Year, be well, thank you very much.”