There is concern within the government and the market regarding the risk of further delays in both spatial planning and urban planning following yesterday’s resignation of the Secretary General for Spatial Planning and the Urban Environment, Efthymios Bakogiannis, which followed the recent departure of Deputy Minister of the Environment Nikos Tagaras.
The developments of recent days also bring to the surface the major challenge facing the prime minister. The government’s reform narrative is based not only on making citizens’ daily lives easier but also on boosting investment.
However, the new urban planning scandal in northern Attica, reports of the involvement of Mr. Bakoyannis’s relatives in the corruption case, and the possibility of delays in spatial planning present new obstacles to a market already severely tested by price hikes.
The Resignation
After a seven-year tenure, Mr. Bakoyannis took everyone by surprise yesterday by submitting his resignation to Minister Stavros Papastavrou, who is currently traveling in the U.S.
In his resignation letter, the former Secretary General cites personal reasons for his decision, stating, “Now that an important chapter of my long tenure has come to a close, I am able to return to my academic duties.”
At the same time, however, reports indicate that he is allegedly directly linked to the ring uncovered last week within urban planning departments in northern Attica. In fact, sources say that two close relatives are involved in the ring that the police have been monitoring for some time.
When Euro2day.gr contacted Mr. Bakogiannis, he was unavailable for comment.
However, at the Prime Minister’s Office, not only are the reports not being denied, but sources point out that a core tenet of the government is “legality everywhere” and “zero tolerance” for any source of corruption.
The void
In any case, his departure leaves a huge void in the ministry. The experienced Mr. Bakoyannis played a central role in preparing the three spatial plans—for tourism, energy, and industry—which are currently in the public consultation phase or in their final stages of preparation.
Many are wondering how the position will be filled quickly so that the proposals and objections of the institutional bodies can be effectively incorporated.
The mini-reshuffle
Following the announcement of the resignation, the Prime Minister’s Office announced its decision to proceed with changes in the government, while also filling the position previously held by Nikos Tagaras.
As part of a mini-reshuffle, it was announced that Marilena Soukouli will assume the position of Deputy Minister, with the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Friday. Ms. Soukouli has experience as an engineer and runs a technical office specializing in project design and supervision.
The Ministry’s Challenges
Ms. Soukouli’s task will certainly not be easy. On the one hand, the ministry has recently prioritized the “hot potato” of spatial planning. However, on the other hand, plans for urban planning reforms have derailed—a critical sector not only for construction but also for the housing crisis.
It should be noted that the launch of the first Building Services under the new organizational structure was scheduled for July; this structure provides for the transfer of relevant responsibilities from municipalities to the National Cadastre and the establishment of the new agency EOKED.
However, this reform appears to have been forgotten, despite the fact that it was announced by the Prime Minister himself at a previous Thessaloniki International Fair. It is worth noting that to date, the necessary legislative framework for implementing this administrative change has not been established, while the absence of Mr. Tagaras due to his death certainly contributed to the delay.
The momentum remains strong
Meanwhile, engineers, investors, and market players speak of an urban planning environment where expedited procedures still prevail despite the transparency offered by digital services.
In the case of the arrest of six urban planning officials in municipalities in northeastern Attica, the defendants are alleged to have been involved in bribery and the acceptance of bribes in exchange for the regularization of properties and plots of land, reducing fines, and processing building permits, while thirty additional individuals allegedly linked to the case have already been identified.
Engineers, investors, and market players report that certain local systems have maintained a breeding ground for corruption in specific areas that are not handled electronically and involve a great deal of red tape, such as when an investment must be approved by an evaluation committee.
A ring has now been identified in the northern suburbs, but the problem is not limited to that area, sources report, noting that, unfortunately, in this system, “corruption is in its DNA.”