“Clash” of two different mindsets – NEOI CONTINENT RACE

In his announcement ahead of the elections, Mr. Doukas states, among other things:

“The Local and Regional Self-Government throughout Europe remains the institution that garners the highest trust of citizens.

In the last 5 years, all reports, according to the president of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, consistently record that local and regional authorities are the only form of government trusted by more than 50% of citizens.

In 2023, Europe experienced the hottest summer on record and this is another result of climate change along with fires, heatwaves, droughts, storms and floods.

In this environment, Local Government cannot remain a spectator, it acquires a critical role.

Europe designs and adopts financial tools for Self-Government and thus strengthens the role of cities and regions.

Unfortunately, Greece is moving in the opposite direction. Instead of convergence with the European average, we have divergence at all levels.

The institution of self-government is weakened and the role of elected officials is discredited.

The complexity and criticality of the problems faced by our regions and their residents cannot tolerate delays and much more setbacks.

One is the central request that must unite all elected officials:

To observe the constitutional legality, to apply the three constitutional imperatives that stipulate that:

The administration of local affairs belongs to the Local Government Organisations.

Local Government Organizations have administrative and financial autonomy.

The State takes the legislative, regulatory and budgetary measures required to ensure the financial independence and resources necessary for the fulfillment of the mission and the exercise of the responsibilities of the Local Government Organizations.

Behind the constitutional provision, all our demands can be placed, for the resources, the powers, the participation of the Local Government in decision-making and the utilization of the modern tools of the digital age, for the cities to catch the train of climate neutrality, for to redefine the statutory position of the elected officials and to put on the carpet the issues of the human resources of the Self-Government.

It is clear that we are at the beginning of a critical five-year period. It will largely determine whether our cities, small and large, our islands, our villages, will be able to be transformed, so as to respond to the great, modern challenges of the times. To ensure a resilient present and a sustainable future for generations to come.

In the upcoming KEDE elections, on March 2, two different perceptions of Local Self-Government will be pitted against each other:

An administration that will accept, in fact, despite the declarations, the weakening of the institution of Self-Government and the discrediting of elected officials or an institution with a leading role, responsible, institutional partner of the central administration, that will claim and achieve solutions to the problems.

An Administration that will make elected officials beggars in the corridors of ministries and Regions, asking for the obvious or an Administration that will ensure the equal and inclusive participation of all Municipalities, in National and European resources and will act as an effective accelerator of the interventions it requires our project.

An Administration that will watch government agents decide and announce plans for our cities without us, or an Administration that will co-shape and advocate for policies and interventions that we need to improve the lives of our citizens.

Administration with representatives whose long tenure in the Local Government is identified with the weakening of the institution or representatives with knowledge, determined to confront the problems and clash with those who obstruct the solutions.

In these elections, of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, we want representatives whose term of office in the Local Government is proof that they will successfully confront what is weighing on us.

“AUTODIOKISIS TORA” seeks the big change in KEDE. The choices we are called to make are not divisive. They are the starting point to build a new, unifying, strong self-governing movement that will cover a wide range of opinions and free from party anchors, will claim as a serious interlocutor of the central administration, brave reforms and a new road map for the institution of Self-Government.

We know the daily struggle of elected officials, even though their statutory position in our country is the worst in the entire EU and we will change that.

We share the same anxieties. These anxieties must unite us. This is what our citizens are asking for. We promised them that. They honored us with their vote and we have a duty to do them justice.”

The opponent”