Kozani was visited in the morning by the Prime Minister and President of the New Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where he participated in an event with the Regional Governor of Western Macedonia and re-candidate, Giorgos Kasapidis.

“We unreservedly support Giorgos Kasapidis for Regional Governor of Western Macedonia. We give this political support to the Regions not only to give a political dimension to a battle which in fact has such characteristics, but to demonstrate the very great importance we attach to the persons and groups of the regional leaders” said the Prime Minister in his greeting.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in detail:

“Dear George Kasapidis, current and future Regional Governor of Western Macedonia, ladies and gentlemen colleagues in the government and in the Parliament, friends and friends, it is with great joy and emotion that I am here today with you, a few days before the crucial regional elections next Sunday .

But I am also with you on a very important day, very symbolic for our great faction, New Democracy, which today she happily turns 49 years old. The faction founded by the National Archdiocese, Konstantinos Karamanlis, remains the great force of responsibility and perspective.

The faction that undertakes difficult missions and that leads the country with firm and bold steps towards a more optimistic future. The faction that knows how to manage crises, overcome difficulties, always make honest self-criticism, become better, improve, expand and always coordinate with the demands of the times, so that it can ensure every Greek woman and every Greek man perspective for a better future.

“We unreservedly support George Kasapidis”

This faction, ladies and gentlemen, the New Democracy, has chosen in these municipal elections to make specific political choices and to give clear support for 13 candidates for Regional Governors.

We unreservedly support Giorgos Kasapidis for Regional Governor of Western Macedonia. We give this political support to the Regions not only to give a political dimension to a battle which in fact has such characteristics, but to demonstrate the very great importance we attach to the persons and groups of the regional leaderships.

And why am I saying that? Do you remember when I was in Western Macedonia – I have been many times – how much importance I attached when I presented the development plan for Western Macedonia to the proper cooperation between the central government and the regional administration. And this acquires a special importance if one considers the great challenges but also the great opportunities before us.

“At least 60 million euros extra for the West. Macedonia”

The fact that this government succeeded and secured for the country and also for the regions significantly increased resources from the European Union, with many billions of the Recovery Fund which in the coming years will fall into the real economy but also greatly increased resources in terms of regional programs.

Here the Western Macedonia program is increased by at least 60 million. It is of great importance that these resources are spent in coordination and in step with the central government. And this is exactly what the continuation of Giorgos Kasapidis’s stay in the role of Regional Governor ensures.

And this course of creation, which started some years ago, can continue in the next five years. So that we can work and collaborate together harmoniously for your good. So that we can coordinate our policies to ensure that important projects that have matured over the past four years are implemented. And to be able to guarantee that our vision, our common vision, but also my own vision for Western Macedonia will be able to be realized.

A leading region in the green transition, utilizing the significant resources from the Just Transition Fund that this government was able to secure. A Region which will be able to play a dominant role in new forms of energy production, from renewable sources to hydrogen. A Region which will once again be able to attract significant investments in manufacturing, taking advantage of its decisive role, its critical role at the crossroads of many networks.

A Region which, however, will be able to play a leading role in providing quality education and health services for its residents. A while ago I saw the photo of the new wing of “Mamatseio”, an important project which is already underway. Just one of many projects.

We will then talk in more detail about the big projects that will be launched: about the big irrigation projects that are being launched, about the important infrastructure projects, about the E65, which in the next two years will be completed and will connect Western Macedonia with Thessaly, but also with central Greece and Attica. And of course the very important projects that are being carried out at your University, at the University of Western Macedonia, a model educational institution that can play a leading role in supporting regional development.

So, what I want to tell you, friends, is that in the candidacy of George Kasapidis and his combination, our own central government initiatives are coordinated. And that is why I will be very persistent and ask all our executives, the executives of New Democracy, to fight this fight together, coordinated, to put aside any differences and disagreements that inevitably always arise.

You know, power means responsibility, power means that many times we make difficult decisions which may sometimes bother some. But when they are made with a view to the common good and the public interest, in the broadest sense, these decisions are correct. We also know something, because we too at the central level clashed with many established logics and mentalities, and we won. And the same will happen here, in the Region of Western Macedonia.

In closing, because the floor today belongs to George Kasapidis and his combination, I simply wanted to tell you that I have known George for many years, almost 20 years since we entered the Parliament together in 2004. And I honor the fact that he much more consciously left the central political scene to serve his place, a place he loves deeply, in which he believes and which I want you to give him the opportunity to continue to serve, by electing him again as Regional Governor of Western Macedonia.

George, good luck, good strength. If I judge from this gathering here, it is bigger than the pre-election gathering we did. So something good will happen.

So, let’s go strong from the first Sunday to elect Giorgos Regional Governor”.

Kasapidis: We are committed to change Western Macedonia

The Regional Governor of Western Macedonia and re-candidate Giorgos Kasapidis said, among other things, in his greeting:

“Dear Mr. Prime Minister, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great honor you treat me personally and my association, but also in the city of Kozani and in Western Macedonia, with your presence here in the capital of Western Macedonia, in anniversary of the great faction. All West Macedonians united give a thunderous present a few days before the October elections.

From this room we committed ourselves four years ago to change Western Macedonia, to put it on a path of development, we were not honored that Western Macedonia was at the tail end of developments. The Western Macedonians have proven historically that they are pioneers in the games.

With your support we were able to give content to the de-lignitization decision and have a comprehensive Fair Development Program with a budget of 5 billion euros available for the development purposes, goals and directions of our Region.

We will all remember this day, the presence of the Prime Minister means the awakening of the struggle to be able to convey the message of the victory of Western Macedonia against the chronic problems it faced. Let’s go together for victory. A big thank you to our Prime Minister who supports us and will continue to support us with him at the helm of the country”.