Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias sent a clear message on Tuesday afternoon (23 June 2026) that he will not back down following acts of vandalism outside his home. He linked the incidents to the ongoing tensions surrounding the refugee housing complex on Alexandras Avenue in Athens.
‘A Despicable Act’
Hardalias condemned the vandalism as “despicable” and attributed the broader refugee housing crisis to “decades of governmental inaction” and repeated shifting of responsibilities by the state. In an on-camera statement, he described the attacks as “an act of intimidation against an entire neighborhood” and “a direct assault on democratic institutions and the rule of law.” He vowed: “No one will frighten us.”
A Plan for Dignified Housing
Hardalias stressed that the Attica Region did not create the problem—but, he said, it is the only authority to have publicly proposed a concrete, implementable plan for dignified housing and care for all residents. “Without demolitions, without commodification,” he emphasized, responding to criticisms of the redevelopment proposal for the Alexandras Avenue site.
Critique of Vague Alternatives
He also took aim at critics who call for “broadly accepted solutions” but fail to specify what those solutions are. “They serve neither the people living in the refugee housing nor our neighborhoods. They simply resort to populism,” he noted.
Dialogue Under Law, Not Threats
Hardalias insisted that democratic dialogue cannot take place under conditions of coercion or threats—and called on the national government to finally enforce the law. “We will continue to pursue solutions—not slogans, not cries,” he concluded.