PASOK accuses the government for unprecedented inactivity on the issue of fires, adding that the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection chooses communication beautification instead of self -criticism.

In particular, in their joint announcement, Andreas Poulas, MP of Argolida and Head of the Parliamentary Sector of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, and Michalis Halaris, Secretary of Climate Crisis and Resilience of PASOK Change, say:

“The country is burning for another summer and the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection chooses communication beautification instead of self -criticism in an interview with the Sunday Macedonian newspaper and journalist Nikos Economou. We answer, question to question, with data and documentation:

“What is the report so far for this year’s fires?”

The minister cites the “most difficult summer of the last decades” and refers to the end of the end.

Antiquial: The report is made in real time with indicators: burnt area by incident, response time, losses in mixing areas of settlements, industries and forests. Since 2019, more than 4.3 million acres have been burned, and Greece now holds the sad record of burnt -out areas in its history. The government is spending more than 500m euros on air through 2020 without evaluation of efficiency, while absorbing only 57.8m from € 660m of the Recovery Fund for prevention projects. This is the truth behind the numbers.

“Are you happy with the overall performance of the state mechanism?”

The minister talks about “improvement, investment, education and responsibility culture”.

Antiquial: In practice, the “responsibility culture” translates into overlapping, vague roles and lack of coordination between the state -interpreters. Civil protection remains to repression rather than prevention, with delayed cleaning and non -existent local plans.

In addition, the government insists on an atherosclerotic attitude towards the Fire Brigade staff:

  • It has not proceeded to homogenize working regimes between permanent, PSI and seasonal.
  • It has not expanded the dangerous and unhealthy work allowance to all staff.
  • It leaves out of the battle of experienced seasonal firefighters, depriving the country of critical forces.

So, instead of strengthening the human factor, he depreciates him.

“You had said in May that the country is more ready than ever. In the end wasn’t so? “

The minister replies that “more ready” does not mean “immune”, citing extreme conditions and arson.

Antiquial: 96% of fires in Europe are anthropogenic (negligence, infrastructure, agricultural practices, arson). “Readiness” are not press releases; it is the restriction of losses. The result is that houses are burning in every major fire, which the government has almost legitimized as “business given”.

Furthermore, the operational image of the media rejects the allegation of “stronger fleet of all time”: out of the 24 Canadair of the country, this year is just 9. At the same time, the opportunity to upgrade 8 others through the AEGIS program, as the government did not use the potential. Communication announcements without response.

“You criticized municipalities, e.g. In the Municipality of Patras? “

The minister claims that most municipalities are working together, but targets the Mayor of Patras for his attitude towards 112.

Antiquial: 112 is a salvation tool, but without evacuation plans, fortification of settlements and protocols of mixing of settlements, industries and forests (WUI) is an empty shell. Instead of institutionally enhancing local government with resources and staff, the government blames responsibilities. Thus, local communities are left alone with the crisis.

“Your message to the citizens for the reveal time?”

The minister calls on attention and responsibility.

Antiquial: Citizens indeed have a responsibility, but the role of the state cannot be exhausted in appeals. Local prevention plans, training, mixing zones of settlements, industries and forests (WUI), behavioral change campaigns are needed. Prevention is not optional – it is triple to tenths more efficient economically than repression.

“What needs to change next year?”

The minister speaks of “causes analysis and local plans”.

Antiquial: It is not enough to say that “we will study the causes” of fires. A national crisis administration system (ICS-GR) is needed with a single hierarchy and clear roles, a digital crisis monitoring system (Crisis Dashboard) with public indicators (eg initial time, burned area per incident, wui losses), and 50/50/50/50. PASOK proposes balanced distribution: half money in prevention (cleaning, firefighting zones, education, forest service) and half in repression.

“Why fewer fires in northern Greece?”

The minister says that each area has peculiarities.

Antiquial: The risk is dynamic: within hours a “safe” area can be found in hell. Prognostic pre-development of forces based on risk indicators and artificial intelligence. But the government remains trapped in linear, reactionary logic.

“Does the opposition exaggerate?”

The minister accuses the parties of “leveling criticism”.

Antiquial: Exaggeration is to say “more ready than ever” and count burnt houses and lives. Responsibility is to submit comprehensive suggestions like PASOK – Change Movement:

  • National Crisis Management System (ICS-GR) and Digital Crisisdashboard Crisis Monitoring System (Crisisdashboard).
  • 50/50 Prevention-Compression.
  • Mapping of mixing zones of settlements, industries and forests (WUI) and evacuation plans.
  • Homogenization of firefighters
  • Support of volunteers with fuel, service, insurance.
  • Lessonslearned courses with compulsory after -action reviews. That is, after each fire or a major crisis, all actions are mandatory to record errors and good practices to improve the mechanism.

And here is clear the political attitude difference:

  • Mr Mitsotakis as an opposition in 2017 denounced the “inability” of the government at that time, tooling the disaster.
  • N. Androulakis, with this year’s fires, chose the institutional attitude: support for the affected, recognition of the work of firefighters, pilots and volunteers, without a cheap party complaint.

For those who want to think with a national eye, the difference in responsibility is chaotic.

The country is not burned by “unprecedented phenomena”, but by unprecedented inactivity and weakness. The PASOK – Change Movement submits a realistic plan: Single Administration, Transparency, Prevention, Durability. Because citizens’ security is not a communication game; it is a right. “