Within the next ten days, the government regulation aimed at addressing the issue that arose after the issuance of the Presidential Decree — which effectively halts construction in settlements with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants nationwide — is expected to be ready. The development has sparked unrest within the Parliamentary Group.

The regulation was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, during the main news bulletin on Alpha TV. In the coming days, meetings at the Maximos Mansion are also expected to finalize the core philosophy of the regulation.

For the government, this represents a difficult balancing act. On one hand, it must bypass the legal precedent set by the Council of State, while on the other, it must deal with a matter that affects both the ideological heart of New Democracy and the broader issue of property rights.

According to corroborated information from protothema.gr, the government is considering a horizontal regulation that would apply to all 10,000 settlements — though the construction criteria will not be uniform. The responsible minister, according to the same sources, is exploring the idea of a “demographic clause,” based on the reasoning that rural areas cannot be allowed to become deserted while construction is simultaneously restricted in those same regions.

In this context of strengthening decentralization, consideration is being given to the demographic trends in the affected areas. Naturally, other concerns will also factor into the final version of the legislation, such as the carrying capacity of the areas in question — particularly that of the islands.

The issue has caused turbulence within New Democracy. Last week, Mr. Papastavrou and Deputy Minister Nikos Tagaras were met with complaints and comments from party MPs during an informational meeting of the Parliamentary Group. MPs have recently faced strong protests from their constituents, who feel that this change devalues their presence and that formerly buildable plots are now being treated as mere fields.

Of course, the legislative regulation expected soon will serve as an interim step until the final drafting of the local urban plans. As government sources note, 227 local urban plans and 18 special urban plans are in development, which will eventually provide urban planning coverage for 80% of the country. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to codify urban planning legislation for the first time and to digitize the Land Registry.