Satisfaction
From the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, where he attended the event on the theme: “National Strategy for Regional Development / Presentation of Digital Platform erga.gov.gr”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the date of November 30, while expressing his joy, as he reminded the present and the people of Thessalonica that they had been preceded by a “monkey” inauguration with tarpaulins and intense disputes. At the same time, he revealed that the government’s aim is to have Fly Over delivered for use before the spring 2027 national elections.
“Thessaloniki is changing. It is changing at a very fast pace. No government has implemented more infrastructure projects for Thessaloniki than this government,” the prime minister pointed out, after presenting the progress in the execution of important projects for the city and Central Macedonia more broadly, with an emphasis on the transport sectors, Health, entrepreneurship, environment and culture.
“Within the next four years, Thessaloniki will have the most modern anti-cancer hospital and the most modern pediatric hospital in the country. In combination with significant interventions, which are made by the Recovery Fund in all our building infrastructures, in Emergency Departments, in Health Centers, we have never had such a plan to restructure the NHS infrastructure as the one implemented by this government”. noted.
Communications
Referring to public transport and the 110 new electric buses serving routes in Thessaloniki, he underlined: “Obviously we don’t just stop there. Our aim is not only to replace old buses, but to increase their number as a whole, so that the transportation project of Thessaloniki, with the new, modern, anti-pollution, accessible buses for People with Disabilities, will cover all the needs of the metropolitan group”.
The more than 850 interventions – amounting to 13.5 billion euros – to improve infrastructure and quality of life are part of the regional development plan for Central Macedonia, which is implemented with the aim of the double convergence, on the one hand, of Greece and Europe and, on the other hand, of the region with the national average in welfare indicators. “A brief reading of the relevant evidence is enough to establish that this “Athens-centric” development model, which has essentially been the priority of many governments for many decades, has created significant regional disparities, as a result of which a completely different regional policy is required in order to enable the regions of the country, and especially those that have fallen further behind, to converge with the national average”, said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Erga.gov.gr
More from 6,000 projects in platform
During the event, the digital platform erga.gov.gr was presented, where for the first time important projects implemented by both the central government and the Local Government are registered and their continuous, transparent monitoring is possible. “When we got down to business, I asked a simple question. I say: Do we know which projects are implemented in the country as a whole, at all levels, national, regional, municipal? The answer was no. And if we don’t know, we can neither measure nor evaluate nor be accountable to citizens. That is why this platform, which we are inaugurating today, erga.gov.gr, is of such great importance”, emphasized the Prime Minister.
Transparency
Through the erga.gov.gr platform, citizens have the possibility to follow at any time the progress of the implementation of budget projects of more than one million euros in each municipality, Regional Unit or region. It is a tool that, on the one hand, ensures transparency and accountability at all levels of governance and, on the other hand, facilitates coherent planning through the effective execution of projects aimed at development, removing local exclusions and addressing regional disparities. So far, more than 6,000 projects have been registered in the register.
Through the platform, the entire course of a project will be recorded, from the stage of initial design and conceptual maturation to inclusion in specific financial tools, the tender process, contracting and then its execution.
Contacts with agencies of Northern Greece
In the context of his visit to Thessaloniki, ahead of the 88th International Exhibition of Thessaloniki, the prime minister had successive meetings with productive and scientific bodies of Northern Greece, as well as with mayors of Central Macedonia.
The proposal for Thessaloniki to claim the organization of the Mediterranean Games was submitted by the mayor, Stelios Angeloudis. “I put to the prime minister and the government the need to consider the preparation of a file for the claim of the Mediterranean Games of 2034 or even 2030, if the assignment to Pristina does not proceed. I saw interest and I think this is a new narrative, a new narrative for the city and for that I am asking for the help and support of the government”, Mr. Angeloudis told reporters. Regarding the presentation of the erga.gov.gr platform, he pointed out: “I was pleased to hear today something that is not common in recent years at the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki. Let us now begin to see the reduction of the distance between the central administration of Athens and the region. And that’s half of solving the problem.”
The president of the Association of Exporters of Northern Greece, Simos Diamantidis, emphasized: “The prime minister listened to the requests of the producers and said that he will tell us more in his speech at the TIF. Through these meetings, the suggestions and problems of the agencies are transferred to the government.” The president of the Industrial Chamber of Thessaloniki, Anastasios Kapnopolis, pointed out: “Private profit and work card were the two main issues we raised with the prime minister, as well as the permanent and permanent needs of artisans, such as the training of employees in specific specialties.”
The president of the hoteliers, Andreas Mandrinos, thanked the prime minister for the financial aid to the Municipality of Thessaloniki in relation to cleanliness and asked for the improvement of the situation at the entry gates in Northern Greece, as well as the faster completion of the connection of the metro terminal of Mikra with the airport.
Meeting with MPs
The visit of Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Thessaloniki began at 10:00, when he went to the Governor’s Office in order to meet with the local parliamentarians of the N.D. The meeting took place in an excellent atmosphere, with the Prime Minister commenting: “I see you more optimistic than last year.” The 45-minute discussion focused on the progress of Thessaloniki’s projects and the need for the government to put even more weight on Western Thessaloniki, but also to achieve optimal communication of its achievements in the region.
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