Corfu Mayors bring up the issues of waste and Erimitis with Tsipras
Alexis Tsipras
03 Jul 2020
/ 13:08
CORFU. A large part of yesterday΄s meeting with Alexis Tsipras was taken up with the burning local issues.
The SYRIZA leader came in for strong criticism from Central Corfu Mayor Meropi Ydraiou on the subject of waste management. During his meeting with the three Corfu Mayors and the Paxos Mayor Ms. Ydraiou told Mr. Tsipras the previous Government's management had "done serious damage to Corfu and broke down social cohesion. It destroyed the public's trust in the local authority and compromised and degraded to a great extent the role of the mayor and the local authorities."
"This is our major grievance and we had to express it clearly and honestly," Ms. Ydraiou told the local media at the end of the meeting. She added that through initiatives from the present Government and the Municipal authorities the situation has been resolved - both through the extra refuse collection in summer 2019 and the decision to remove the waste from the island, which is a temporary solution.
Mr. Tsipras reiterated that he doesn't believe in the solution of transporting the waste elsewhere and that waste management has to be done locally. As regards Lefkimmi, he stressed that these issues need to be solved by the local authorities in collaboration with the local community. "Nevertheless, I have to say that in these cases the responsibility is shared between the local authority and the Government."
Kostas Pavlidis - "You signed"
At this point, SYRIZA MP Alekos Avlonitis intervened and said that the mistakes that have happened with waste management weren't just in the last few years but are long-term and have been happening for decades. South Corfu Mayor Kostas Lessis agreed and said that the ND Government have a large share of responsibility.
The former Corfu MP Kostas Pavlidis then added that both Meropi Ydraiou and Kostas Lessis, as Deputy Prefects at that time, had both put their signatures for the construction of Lefkimmi landfill to go ahead - to which he got the response "If a mistake happens, it doesn't mean it has to continue!"
MP Alekos Avlonitis reminded everyone that all the funding for infrastructure and solutions to the problems had come during the previous local authority's term of office, allowing permanent solutions to be found now.
Erimitis
Alexis Tsipras admitted that the previous government had been under a lot pressure during the fiscal crisis and that the investment here had been added to the second memorandum. "We were under a lot of pressure and were trying to at least save ADHME and EYDAP but I was struck by lenders' insistence on part of the area being sold off."
The North Corfu Mayor said that he was satisfied because Mr. Tsipras promised to re-examine the issue and that he will support us. Coming out of the Old Town Hall, Giorgos Mahimaris told the local media, "He stated that the matter of Erimitis is very serious for Corfu - he hadn't been properly informed by former colleagues and TAIPED that the area of natural beauty was like Corfu's 'Parthenon' and it had been sold off for 'a handful of beans' to be built over. I am satisfied because Mr. Tsipras himself understood that he hadn't been fully informed about the situation and will re-examine the matter."
"This is our major grievance and we had to express it clearly and honestly," Ms. Ydraiou told the local media at the end of the meeting. She added that through initiatives from the present Government and the Municipal authorities the situation has been resolved - both through the extra refuse collection in summer 2019 and the decision to remove the waste from the island, which is a temporary solution.
Mr. Tsipras reiterated that he doesn't believe in the solution of transporting the waste elsewhere and that waste management has to be done locally. As regards Lefkimmi, he stressed that these issues need to be solved by the local authorities in collaboration with the local community. "Nevertheless, I have to say that in these cases the responsibility is shared between the local authority and the Government."
Kostas Pavlidis - "You signed"
At this point, SYRIZA MP Alekos Avlonitis intervened and said that the mistakes that have happened with waste management weren't just in the last few years but are long-term and have been happening for decades. South Corfu Mayor Kostas Lessis agreed and said that the ND Government have a large share of responsibility.
The former Corfu MP Kostas Pavlidis then added that both Meropi Ydraiou and Kostas Lessis, as Deputy Prefects at that time, had both put their signatures for the construction of Lefkimmi landfill to go ahead - to which he got the response "If a mistake happens, it doesn't mean it has to continue!"
MP Alekos Avlonitis reminded everyone that all the funding for infrastructure and solutions to the problems had come during the previous local authority's term of office, allowing permanent solutions to be found now.
Erimitis
Alexis Tsipras admitted that the previous government had been under a lot pressure during the fiscal crisis and that the investment here had been added to the second memorandum. "We were under a lot of pressure and were trying to at least save ADHME and EYDAP but I was struck by lenders' insistence on part of the area being sold off."
The North Corfu Mayor said that he was satisfied because Mr. Tsipras promised to re-examine the issue and that he will support us. Coming out of the Old Town Hall, Giorgos Mahimaris told the local media, "He stated that the matter of Erimitis is very serious for Corfu - he hadn't been properly informed by former colleagues and TAIPED that the area of natural beauty was like Corfu's 'Parthenon' and it had been sold off for 'a handful of beans' to be built over. I am satisfied because Mr. Tsipras himself understood that he hadn't been fully informed about the situation and will re-examine the matter."
