The radical leftist SYRIZA party railed against the development of a portion of the old Helleniko site in southern coastal Athens by the private sector when it was in the opposition.

Now in government, Alternate Finance Minister Nadia Valavani issued a decision on Wednesday opening the way for the 5.3-hectare site to serve as a trash separation zone…

Forget dreams of creating the biggest urban park in Europe. The leftist government now wants rubbish from four neighboring municipalities (Glyfada, Alimos, Argyroupolis, Paleo Faliro) to be brought to the site, turning the prime seaside tract into a dumpster!

The historic airport served the country’s travel needs for six decades until 2001 when it was replaced by the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos” The grounds – near the coastal area – are located southeast of the Greek capital’s center, near upmarket Glyfada. Plans to turn it into the biggest urban park in Europe by Lamda Development — the company which would exploit a portion of the site — are blocked, leaving the airport to decay as the years went by.

These days the site serves as an… irregular landfill and home to graffiti “artists”, drug users, squatters and stray animals. Old tickets litter the floor of the main terminal, reminders of the airport’s heyday. Now, the time has come for the further degradation.