A seminar on “Citizen participation in the new challenges of local government” was held tonight in the hall of the commercial association of Patras, by the “Andreas Papandreou” foundation, with speakers the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas and the former prime minister and MP of Achaia of PASOK – KINAL, Giorgos Papandreou.

Starting his speech, the Mayor of Athens emphasized that “the institution of local self-government is faced with a double challenge, the most important in the post-colonial years” and continued:

“A challenge that we must win, so that the citizens can once again acquire the right to the city, to have a say in their lives and the right to co-decide with the elected officials in the municipalities.

The first challenge is to rebuild our relationship, the elected officials with the citizens, but also the elected officials with the central administration.

The second challenge is to succeed all together, to redesign the cities, in this difficult environment of unprecedented threats”.

But, as he noted, “the conditions are ominous” and added:

“The self-government relationship with the citizens seems to have been disrupted. In the October municipal elections, abstention reached a record of 60%.

The central administration gives recitals of centralization, weakening the municipalities and devaluing the role of elected officials and ultimately the role of civil society.

Our cities unfortified, are severely tested, at the cost of human lives. Specifically, 28 of our fellow citizens lost their lives this summer in the fires, and another 17 in the floods.”

He then criticized the government, accusing it of “welcoming the new municipal authorities with a barrage of decisions, which makes the municipalities poorer, burdens the municipal budgets with 240 million euros for waste burial fees, threw the municipalities out of the company that would manages big projects in the cities, while they were excluded from the management of big issues, such as the exploitation of the beaches and the settlement of arbitrary”.

In fact, as he characteristically mentioned, “steps are being taken backwards at full speed, towards the failed model of the inefficient, centralized state”.

Then, Haris Doukas referred to the upcoming elections of the KEDE, stressing that “we seek the great upheaval and fight for a change of course, because it is a battle for the citizens and for the Democracy, for the right of the citizens to their cities, for not to make decisions about their lives, for the sake of the minister”.

At the same time, the Mayor of Athens noted that “the representation of elected officials in KEDE cannot be decided in the basement of Maximos, it cannot be the result of a transaction” and added: “Party anointing for the head of KEDE, means a check that must be cashed. It does not prescribe a strong voice of assertion, a responsible interlocutor and partner with the central administration”.

He also criticized the current president of KEDE, Lazaros Kyrizoglou, underlining, among other things: “Did the rulers manage to take into account the proposals of the self-government, did they adopt its requests?” He advertises his long experience in the institution. But it is a course that is synonymous with weakening the institution.

And I wonder, are we to expect something different, something better’?

Afterwards, he attacked the government again, stating that “the staff state of Maximus, I’m afraid, cannot withstand strong decentralized institutions” and added: “After all, he proved on many occasions, that Democracy, participatory institutions, the rule of law are not his strong cards. But self-government by its very nature is the institution that, precisely because it is close to the citizen, can co-shape, co-decide with the citizens and initiate solutions”.

Also, as he pointed out, “we are determined to defend and claim this self-government, with my participation in the KEDE elections”, pointing out at the same time, that “we are fighting this fight together with mayors from all over Greece, who regardless of parties and colors , are determined to claim strong – institutionally and financially – municipalities, present in the digital age, sensitive to modern social problems, alongside the citizens”.

George Papandreou

For his part, George Papandreou underlined at the beginning of his speech that “it appears that the great political dilemma of our time is the question of Democracy, that is, if in the face of the great changes of our time, climate change, rapid development of technology, as recently of artificial intelligence, but also of geopolitical changes, the citizen will have a say”.

Then, he noted that “for all of us, the need to deepen Democracy is the highest priority and the greatest stake of our time”, adding:

“Democracy is threatened and receives daily blows.

From the questioning of the institutions, unfortunately today also from the power itself, with the undermining of the independence of the Media, surveillance, but also the lack of transparency, from the management of public finances, to the utilization of the Recovery Fund money. But aren’t the inequalities, which are widening every day, with the parallel undermining of public goods – education and health – leading to the marginalization of larger and larger sections of our society? Aren’t these issues of democracy? Or is accuracy in the market for energy, food and other basic consumer goods not a matter of democracy?

Speaking about self-government, he said that “its upgrade is a crucial and decisive parameter for the defense and deepening of Democracy, because Democracy contributes decisively to the better control of power”.

“And the control”, he continued, “in turn contributes to transparency, to the non-waste of resources, to the upgrading of the quality of life and the economic status of citizens – and mainly of the less privileged, as well as to ensuring the development prospects of each Region” .

He also said that “self-government can and must play a leading role in the green and digital transition, defending rights and freedoms, providing quality services to citizens, and leading the state to overcome conventional and digital bureaucracy.”

“Contributing, however”, as he noted, “also on her part to the formation of a modern progressive agenda that our society needs”.

The event was attended by, among others, the MEP of PASOK – KINAL, Nikos Papandreou, the secretary of the party’s central political committee, Andreas Spyropoulos, the MP of Aitoloakarnania, Christina Staraka, mayors of Achaia, etc.