Back to the torch! The opening kick for the European elections, bringing back the torch that awakens memories to the neo-democracy, was given by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis from the pre-nectrium of Thessaloniki last night. The conference that will take place in Zappeion, April 5-7, will be dedicated to the 50 years of the NW, the closing of the post-politization. “It is this torch that accompanied us all in our first steps and in our first struggles for our party,” he said. “And I think that for all of us “older, but also younger, are indeed these moments of emotion, as through this picture we all feel years of exciting journey.” The torch is a return to the roots. An attempt to repatriate the group voters who fled to the smaller right-wing parties or passed into the grey zone. Government choices such as the same-sex couple law led to a break with the deep conservative commons that are in the ND DNA. That’s what Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants to bring back. The first to be invited to the conference will be the two former prime ministers Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras. “We gave” And a third date, on Friday at Maximou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis closed with farmers. He will see the representatives of the cooperatives. Yesterday he met with the representatives of the Thessaloniki farmers and livestock farmers, the regional manager of Thessaly Dimitris Koureta, 30 mayors, chambers, etc. It goes without saying that farmers are asking for more. “It is fair that most of your demands, that more we can give, will be done on time,” the Prime Minister said. There are other social groups that have just demands and expect to be satisfied. The government doesn’t want to stand up to them on their way to the election. For cotton that farmers want to continue to produce in Thessalian plain, the Prime Minister replied that there is no ban but in 10-20 years Thessaly will have to change land use. “We agree 90%” A 500-page study on the reconstruction of Thessaly, so as not to drown again, presented to the Prime Minister the regional governor of Thessaly Dimitris Kouretas. Most of it was processed by the University of Thessaly where the district chief is a professor. A first briefing was held on the Dutch company’s master plan on the projects to be carried out in Thessaly. Today there will be a detailed presentation by the Dutch in Larissa. Their study is not good news, but it can certainly be a framework of priorities. “We agree at 90%, we will find them,” said D.Kourettas. They agree with the Dutch on widening rivers and streams and on the dams to be built. They disagree about Lake Carla. The Dutch consider that if the projects proposed are carried out Carla will not be redeemed again while the Kuretta study shows that the waters must leave the Aegean. Sound bell The next day of the election for the county party committees that once constituted a focus of influence, he finds Kumoundurus with a heavy headache. Most disappointing was the attendance of executives in Sunday’s internal party election. The first account referred to an 8-10% participation. And if the lists had been cleared up – which was not done – it would hardly have reached 15%. The message of the conference “under the hands of Kasselakis” was not reflected in the polls for the county committees. It was a big abstention. For sound bell, about three months before the European elections, top executives of SYRIZA speak. The party’s rally moves below 55–60%. Eight polls The meagre results are due according to a known poll and to fatigue. Eight polls went to SYRIZA members in 10 months. For the national elections (May and June 2023), in the self-government (two Sundays October 2023), for the president of SYRIZA (two rounds, September 2023), to elect delegates and now for the county committees. The reality, however, is that the only polls in which there was enthusiasm and participation were for leadership when Kasselakis brought a renewal air with his communication gift. Key to the “Casselist” However, Syriza did not develop dynamics, became the first split and Koumoundurus is looking to find the voters of the national elections (even though 18%) but also the voters of the internal party elections that approached 150,000. There’s disappointment. Unknown X are the so-called “Casselista” as the well-known poller points out. They were not members of SYRIZA and went to vote for Kasselakis for president (40,000 new members were written in the internal party election) as were those who did not vote for him but may vote for him in the European elections without being SYRIZA. “Casselistas” are not easily detectable in polling findings. But they are considered the key. Are they going to vote for Kasselakis, or are they going to choose abstinence? The June 9th polls will show it. They may judge second place. Without Tyler Alone without Tyler Macbeth’s husband, the president of SYRIZA was in Thessaloniki. With MPs and executives of SYRIZA (Petro Pappas, Gifts Augeri, Sunday Malama etc.) at night he went for beer. He was in a good mood. “We go loud for the European elections” is his message. It puts a great deal of weight on the presentation of Syriza’s European programme, Thursday, at the Foundation of the Hellenic World. “Please be all there,” he told Members. Despite warnings that he will tear up posted employees who have looked at the “New Left”, in Thessaloniki he did not deal with the party at all. Maybe he wants to take it unifyingly, like he called a known executive. With the Holy Fathers In the celebrations of the patron saint of Arta, Saint Theodora, the Vice President of the Parliament and former Minister of Syriza Olga Gerovasili participated. That’s where he gets elected. Local prelates – Metropolitan Artas Kallinikos, Metropolitan Prevezis Chrysostomos and other prelates – gave her their wishes and did not “punish her” because she passed the law on same-sex couples. Separation of State-Church A reflection began to develop within some metropolitans if they should draw things to the extreme. The separation of state-Church could enter the table again, despite the fact that even Alexis Tsipras took him back. In fact, to please Jerome, he kicked out of the government then Minister of Education Nikos Filis who confronted the Archbishop. In 2025 the process of constitutional revision opens and the issue of separation of Church-State could be a lever of pressure in the Church so as not to interfere with politics. Syriza will raise the issue. But it’s hard for the Southwest to do it. Everything will be judged in practice. “There will be war”! The regional chief of Thessaly Dimitris Kouretas, on the occasion of the forthcoming publication of the Dutch report on the reassignment of the district and the restoration of damage from the natural disaster leaves no room for a change of strategy regarding cotton. He says in a Facebook post “the income of 15,000 rural families from the sale of the cotton harvester is 210m euros and an additional linked subsidy from the CAP 65m. Exports of ginned cotton to Thessaly are around 200 million and of cotton seed 45 million per year. The processing of 50,000 tonnes (100 000 tonnes annual production) Cotton Ekk in Thessaly will bring revenue to the local economy at least 2 billion per year through exports and the prevention of imports. It will also create about 6,500 direct jobs and at least 2,000 indirect jobs, only in the manufacturing sector in Thessaly. At least 200 million in wages, contributions, etc. to the local economy. This process will require investments worth approximately 600 – 700 million ECU. In addition, 0.7 billion investments will bring 20 billion turnover and 5 billion revenue to the local economy in the decade. These are for those who start thinking about cotton leaving Thessaly. There will be a war.” Who’s going to make the school in Greek? Athens College announced that its board decided not to proceed with the construction of an annex in Greek. Prodea seems to be leaving the shape, with the Kostea Neighbors Training Centers, which was promoting the construction of a training centre in the area of the former airport. So who’s gonna invest in an educational institution in Greek? From Lamda Development they had leaked a few weeks ago that they visited the great real estate representatives of American universities, without much detail. Another scenario is also available on the market: That one of the members of the College Board who does not agree with the decision to cancel the annexation plan will fund the construction of a school. What partner? Unknown. The last Chamaz household at OTE Michael Chamaz sets up defenses a few months before leaving OTE in order to reduce the cost and strengthen it in capital. This translates yesterday’s announcement that formalises the separation plan of mobile antennas (the so-called passive section, namely buildings, tissues, etc.) following the path of its competitors who have long split and transferred these assets. Indeed, the antennas of Vodafone Greece and Nova had been transferred to a subsidiary of Vodafone, Vantage Towers. In addition to secession of mobile antennas, yesterday’s announcement also referred to efforts to reduce the cost of OTE’s pay television sector, Cosmote TV. What exactly will happen on Cosmote TV? The management “researches alternatives and possibilities for optimising its activities in the field of pay television in order to reduce its operating costs”. Rail safety for laughs! On the line to Serres the OSE places guards at railway crossings only when freight trains pass, leaving passenger trains exposed and forcing Hellenic Train to place on-board guards! The train stops before crossing, the guard comes down from it, ensures it, the train passes and waits for the guard to board it again! It is written by the Federation of Engineers in yesterday’s announcement. That is why shortly after the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Staikouras announced that there was a broad meeting on the safety of the railway network and threatened with sanctions those who do not apply the General Regulation of Movement. There is no reason to mention the other complaints made by drivers because we will all be sad in the morning. Greece is Athens! The data presented yesterday by IOBE on regional development are alarming and show that despite the pronouncements of decades the Greek region is raging, with the exception of the tourist islands. 47.2% of national GDP is produced in Attica with Central Macedonia (see Thessaloniki) being in second place with a 13.7% share. The remaining 11 regions of the country share 39% of GDP. Investment figures are equally disheartening: Almost four out of ten euros of investments are made in Attica based on 2020 figures. Areas such as Epirus (3.2% of the 2020 investment), the Ionian Islands (2%) and the North Aegean (1.9%) are unclaimed on the part of investors. The same and worse are export data. Attica contributes 52.7% of national exports to Central Macedonia (15.6%) and third to the Peloponnese (13.7%). Thessaly sets back just for 4.5% of exports.
The third date with the farmers and the cotton war, the riddle of “Casselistas”, the unknown (now) investor for schools in Greek and OTE’s last household by Tsamaz
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