Redefining Settlements: ‘Blue’ Pressures on the Government to Reassess Planning for Specific Areas

The Greek government is facing mounting pressure, both internally and externally, to reconsider the Presidential Decree regarding the delineation of settlements with fewer than 2,000 residents. New Democracy MP for the Cyclades, Filippos Fortomas, has submitted a question to the Minister for Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastamou, highlighting potential negative consequences for the Cyclades if the decree comes into effect for smaller settlements. Despite acknowledging the effort to bring order to settlement delineation and comply with State Council decisions, Fortomas points out that thousands of citizens, particularly property owners in the Cyclades islands, could face issues. According to the controversial Presidential Decree published on April 15, 2025, parts of current settlements may be reclassified as outside settlement boundaries, affecting their usability and buildability. Citizens who purchased properties considered viable and buildable under previous regulations now risk having their assets rendered non-viable and non-buildable. Similar concerns have been raised by five other ‘blue’ MPs, including K. Kefalogiannis, G. Andrianos, L. Augenakis, D. Kalogeropoulos, and M. Consolas, urging governmental intervention to address these issues.