The reaction of the Minister of the Interior, Thodoris Livaniou was prompted by criticism from the PASOK MP for Aetolia-Acarnania, Christina Staraka for the government’s “elimination” of local communities by the government, and for turning a village president into the mayor’s “local representative.”
“Is it true that does PASOK really mean what it says about devaluing the communities?,” asked Mr. Livaniou and continued: “Let me remind you what Kallikrates said? Let me remind you that the responsibilities, at this very moment, are exactly the same as those under Kallikrates? […] You can’t come here and say that PASOK is the party of major changes, ‘we implemented Kapodistrias, we implemented Kallikrates’ and at the same time, bring back the communities through the “back door.” […] You can’t do both,” said Mr. Livaniou.
The Minister of the Interior also refuted the claims that “we are ‘secretly’ introducing an electoral system—in the middle of the term and on the sly”—when, “I personally presented the general principles at the (local government) conference in Rhodes. No bill has ever been discussed, especially not in recent years. You can at least acknowledge that. And honestly, I haven’t heard a single proposal. “Say, ‘I want this authority to be transferred from the State to local government.’ Just one…,” remarked Mr. Livaniou.
