North Corfu Municipal Council votes to fight for Erimitis to the very end
North Corfu
20 Jun 2020
/ 11:12
CORFU. The Council declared its opposition to the destruction of Erimitis and voted to continue fighting against it. There were 14 votes for, 11 against and 1 abstention.
Erimitis was once again the main topic at the North Corfu Municipal Council meeting. The first meeting with the physical presence of attendees following the lockdown was held behind closed doors and all safety measures were adhered to. Council President Panayiotis Papadatos and Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris even prohibited the presence of reporters (3 people!) for health and safety reasons. After photos had been taken by reporters they were asked to leave, which caused some reaction.
Even though the majority of Councillors proposed that a vote be taken regarding media coverage, the Chair didn't accept this, which dismayed many of those present as outside the closed doors a number of people had gathered from Erimitis Plus, North Corfu OGE (Greek Women's Federation) and school cleaners.
Admission was only allowed to three Erimitis representatives for a very short time just to make presentations. In the end, those present outside followed the meeting through the windows and from the loudspeakers.
The leader of the Laiki Sispirosis party Kostas Roussinos made the main presentation and said that, despite all the noise and reactions created by the dispute regarding Erimitis, the Municipal Council still hasn't actually come out in favour or against the investment. The previous eventful meeting had only been with regard to the elevation study - and in actual fact, that meeting in February resulted in the Government and the Minister for Development Adonis Giorgiades removing responsibility from the local authority.
Kostas Roussinos stressed that the fight to save the paradise in Erimitis mustn't stop just because a bulldozer had come to demolish an old naval building - which the Ministry of Development happily publicised. "Corfu doesn't need a few hundred more beds," said Mr. Roussinos. "It needs infrastructure to support the already existing tourist businesses and the conservation of the few remaining natural beauty spots which add to the quality."
He said, "We aren't here to give a 'battle of honour' but to fight with full confidence that we can save Erimitis," before being applauded loudly by those outside.
Presentations along the same lines were also made by Socrates Trifonas, Varthi Bano, Akis Mavronas, Spyridoula Kokkali, Maria Mouzakiti, Haris Koutsouris, Vera Koronaki and Dimitris Fatiras.
Mr Fatiras - President of Erimitis Plus - said that the bulldozer that appeared at the old Naval Outpost yesterday was nothing more than a PR stunt from Adonis Giorgiades, who doesn't even seem to respect the Justice System - a decision is still being awaited from the Ioannina Appeals Court regarding the appeal made by Erimitis Plus to suspend demolition following the approval from Corfu Planning Department at the end of 2019.
North Corfu Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris also declared himself in favour of the fight to save Erimitis.
The vote
The North Corfu 'Laiki Sispirosi' put forward the following proposal to be voted on:
The North Corfu Municipal Council:
1. Is opposed to the destruction of Erimitis through privatisation and building on it.
2. Gives its full support to the fight being put up by residents and environmental, workers' and cultural organisations and to the defence and saving of Erimitis.
There were 14 votes in favour, 11 against and 1 abstention (Kostas Grigoropoulos). Dimitrsi Nikopascos had originally said that he intended to abstain but , following the public (!) exhortation from the leader of his party Spyros Aspiotis, in the end voted against.
Even though the majority of Councillors proposed that a vote be taken regarding media coverage, the Chair didn't accept this, which dismayed many of those present as outside the closed doors a number of people had gathered from Erimitis Plus, North Corfu OGE (Greek Women's Federation) and school cleaners.
Admission was only allowed to three Erimitis representatives for a very short time just to make presentations. In the end, those present outside followed the meeting through the windows and from the loudspeakers.
The leader of the Laiki Sispirosis party Kostas Roussinos made the main presentation and said that, despite all the noise and reactions created by the dispute regarding Erimitis, the Municipal Council still hasn't actually come out in favour or against the investment. The previous eventful meeting had only been with regard to the elevation study - and in actual fact, that meeting in February resulted in the Government and the Minister for Development Adonis Giorgiades removing responsibility from the local authority.
Kostas Roussinos stressed that the fight to save the paradise in Erimitis mustn't stop just because a bulldozer had come to demolish an old naval building - which the Ministry of Development happily publicised. "Corfu doesn't need a few hundred more beds," said Mr. Roussinos. "It needs infrastructure to support the already existing tourist businesses and the conservation of the few remaining natural beauty spots which add to the quality."
He said, "We aren't here to give a 'battle of honour' but to fight with full confidence that we can save Erimitis," before being applauded loudly by those outside.
Presentations along the same lines were also made by Socrates Trifonas, Varthi Bano, Akis Mavronas, Spyridoula Kokkali, Maria Mouzakiti, Haris Koutsouris, Vera Koronaki and Dimitris Fatiras.
Mr Fatiras - President of Erimitis Plus - said that the bulldozer that appeared at the old Naval Outpost yesterday was nothing more than a PR stunt from Adonis Giorgiades, who doesn't even seem to respect the Justice System - a decision is still being awaited from the Ioannina Appeals Court regarding the appeal made by Erimitis Plus to suspend demolition following the approval from Corfu Planning Department at the end of 2019.
North Corfu Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris also declared himself in favour of the fight to save Erimitis.
The vote
The North Corfu 'Laiki Sispirosi' put forward the following proposal to be voted on:
The North Corfu Municipal Council:
1. Is opposed to the destruction of Erimitis through privatisation and building on it.
2. Gives its full support to the fight being put up by residents and environmental, workers' and cultural organisations and to the defence and saving of Erimitis.
There were 14 votes in favour, 11 against and 1 abstention (Kostas Grigoropoulos). Dimitrsi Nikopascos had originally said that he intended to abstain but , following the public (!) exhortation from the leader of his party Spyros Aspiotis, in the end voted against.
