Local leaderships and their projects

The issue is not so much the complaints of parties and organizations from the whole spectrum of the Left to the gatherings of the fire victims of Northern Evia against investors – “carrion scavangers” with their “green” businesses (as they typically state in their announcements and resolutions), but the positions and proposals of the representatives of the Local Government (Region, Municipalities) concerning the day after…

I read, for example, about “strategic road projects that will serve the reconstruction plan of Northern Evia”, including the project of the bypass of Chalkida – Nea Artaki – Psachna and I wonder if these projects hark back to the 80’s ( the golden age of public works contracting) or take us one step further in understanding the environment shaped by the climate crisis.

I will explain in order to avoid misunderstandings or misconceptions: Works that may have been – or still are – useful to fans of the classical method of producing public works, are now being challenged as they do not serve the new needs of the difficult future.

The climate crisis – whether we like it or not – drastically changes the facts of our lives and shapes an economic and social environment with references to Noah’s Ark.

Today, we are forced to rethink how we build our cities and the public infrastructure in Greece. Even more, what should  our relationship with the natural environment, our forests, our water, our seas, be. In other words, a carefree life gives way to increased individual, family and collective responsibility (always in the context of an active Civil Protection).

But, let’s get back to Public Works. I read: “This is the absolutely top interconnection project of Evia. In addition to the unburdening of the bypassed cities (Chalkida – Nea Artaki – Psachna) is is intended to facilitate and accelerate access to and from Northern Evia, making it more attractive to visitors and investors. It is a project with a length of about 25 km in total and a budget of about 180,000,000 euros. The studies that will enable its financing through the sectoral program NSRF 2021 – 2027 are completed “.

Let me make an objection at this point. We do not undertake works with the data of yesterday but of tomorrow, of the next 20 and 30 years. With this in mind, it makes no sense to insist on a type of urban development and a productive model that has reached its limits…

No one can be against the new, modern roads that offer ease of movement and above all, safety, but where and how they will be built needs a lot of discussion.

Moreover, no one understands the insistence on the division of projects and the encouragement of small contracts, when today the central position of the government – and not only – is the PPP model. Why, are 5 large PPP projects that serve the economic, social needs and prospects and give a new impetus to the development process through a regime of transparency and accountability not selected, here and now, .

In other words, the time of the climate crisis requires other leaders even at local or regional level. Everything else is just “talk for talk’s sake.”