The issue of fires and the limits of municipalities’ responsibility were a central topic of discussion at the KEDE meeting that responded to the government
Anger from the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) against the government he overthrew responsibilities in local government for the devastating fires, with the mayors responding that the accusations against the municipalities are unfair and stressing that we will not “become the easy scapegoat of the state”.
The subject of fires and the limits of powers and her responsibility of the municipalities to deal with them, were the central topic of discussion at today’s meeting of the KEDE Board of Directors, after yesterday’s “fires” received by the local government regardingi oligoria in the exercise of its powers and its management grant for fire protection.
The first vice-president of KEDE and mayor of Kallithea Dimitris Karnavos pointed out that “a political issue is raised” with him adding that “at a time when the state has to face problems, the local self-government is treated as an easy scapegoat”. At the same time, she suggested Union of Mayors to take an official position on which areas of fire protection fall under its remit, but “and to make political interventions towards the government”.
On the part of president of KEDE Lazaros Kyrizoglou, responding both to relevant statements by competent ministers and relevant critical publications, characterized “unjust” accusations and the attack received by the municipalities.
Mr. Kyrizoglou stated that “the fires did not start from Syntagma Square and went to the woods, that is, they did not start from areas of responsibility – according to the law and common sense – of the municipalities but they started from forest and rural areas, the responsibility for the cleaning of which is not borne by the relevant municipalities. The responsibility lies exclusively with the Forestry Service, DEDDIE, etc.”
Responding at the same time to reports about funding of 150 million euros to the municipalities, he characteristically said that “this is not true. Is inaccurate”. The money given in 2023, Mr. Kyrizoglou said, is 23,400,000 euros to the Municipalities and 1,860,000 euros to the Associations of Municipalities, a total of 25 million euros, while in 2022 16,910,000 euros were given to the municipalities and 1,490,000 to the Associations of Municipalities, a total of 17,400,000 euros. “It is positive that there was grant increasewe recognize it, but in no case are the specific funds sufficient,” he said.
He also noted that indeed this year the contracts for the recruitment of seasonal personal fire protectionlet five months become four months, but it is necessary that these become six months so as to coincide with the fire season. As regards civil protection personnel, the contracts should be eight months.
“This is the real truth and we are shouting it, because no way we don’t want to be the ones to blame. Where we lag behind, where we are wrong – if we are – we will come out and say it. But if we are not guilty of anything and are unjustly accused, we will come out in public and put things in their place. The municipalities in their vast majority have done their work and have taken the steps cleanings in the areas within the plan. We are not responsible for the non-planned areas, nor for the forest lands,” he added.
“With the money given, for example in my municipality (a purely urban Municipality) I can clean up the forty abandoned plots I have. But the municipality of Agrinio with its 150 settlements and the 1,247 square kilometer area can he carry out the required cleanings with the money he gets? Where do we live? Who are we talking about? And some people come and position themselves in an inappropriate and unacceptable way against us” asked the president of KEDE.
He also said that “outside of the result, it is an immediate need to change strategy and planning the prevention and suppression of rural fires, with the immediate reorganization and re-staffing of the disorganized and understaffed Forestry Services, with the assignment to them of the management of forests, the prevention and extinguishing of fires in forests and forest lands, and with the involvement of local communities and agricultural, forestry and beekeeping cooperatives and resin growers. THE Fire Service to have the responsibility of the so-called urban fires and when required will assist her Forest protection service».
It is recalled that ND Member of Parliament and former Deputy Minister of the Interior (responsible for Local Self-Government) Stelios Petsas speaking on Tuesday to SKAI, he asserted that: “This year, since March, the Ministry of the Interior has allocated 25 million euros to municipalities and associations of municipalities to deal with issues of fire season compared to 18.4 million euros which was until 2021. In other words, we have increased by 36% the amount given”. Stelios Petsas added that “when the fire fighting season ends we will have a full account of where this money went”.
At the same time, government officials said regarding the ANTINERO II Program that “there are municipalities that they do not meet their obligations regarding preventive cleanings and protection of archaeological sites. Also, there is a question about the way in which the Municipalities use the funding, while delays are also found in the preparation of special evacuation plans”.
