The resignation of the Secretary General for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, Efthymis Bakogiannis, closes a long cycle at the Ministry of Environment and Energy and marks the end of a period associated with the planning of the largest urban and spatial reform of recent decades.

However, the timing of his departure also adds a strong political dimension to the development, as it comes in the wake of revelations and prosecutions linked to a corruption case in urban planning services, reigniting debate about the functioning of Greece’s inspection and licensing system.

According to reports, Mr. Bakogiannis had informed the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, about the arrest and involvement of his relatives in the case. However, under the weight of developments and the political dimension the case was taking on, the ministry’s leadership reportedly deemed his resignation from the post of Secretary General the appropriate solution.

Although it is still early to clarify what comes next, reports suggest that the responsibilities of the Secretariat may temporarily be handled internally, without an immediate appointment of a new Secretary General.

Who the former Secretary General is

For almost seven years, the associate professor of Geography and Regional Planning at the National Technical University of Athens, together with the late Deputy Minister Nikos Tagaras, was at the core of urban planning and spatial policy issues at YPEN, having direct involvement in all major legislative initiatives promoted from 2019 onward in these fields. He served as president of three central advisory bodies of YPEN: the Central Council of Urban Planning (KESYPOTHA), the Central Council of Architecture (KESA), and the Central Council of Spatial Planning (KESYXOTHA). At the same time, he had the ability to submit proposals himself, instead of senior civil servants, to these councils, significantly shaping the ministry’s positions on each issue under consideration.

For this reason, until recently many considered Efthymis Bakogiannis the natural continuation of the policy followed in recent years in spatial and urban planning, especially after the loss of Nikos Tagaras. His knowledge of pending reforms, participation in key decisions, and direct involvement in major issues of the portfolio had created the impression that he could take on an even more central role in the ministry’s new era.

The two men were closely associated with the program for the preparation of Local and Special Urban Plans across the country, which is facing serious dysfunctions due to Recovery Fund financing issues and implementation delays. They were also linked to the revision of special spatial frameworks for tourism, renewable energy sources (RES), and industry, the new Building Regulation Code (NOK), and building outside urban plans, as well as efforts to address long-standing dysfunctions in spatial planning.

The completion of this ambitious project, however, was not meant to be finished during their tenure. For Nikos Tagaras, the process was interrupted by serious health problems and his recent death. For Efthymis Bakogiannis, yesterday’s resignation letter citing personal reasons comes at a time when the revelation of a corruption network in urban planning services has caused significant political and administrative turmoil.

Reaching relatives

The case gained further weight as the investigation reportedly extends into his family environment. Among the individuals included in the case file and under investigation is the former head of the Kifissia Urban Planning Office, who is related to Efthymios Bakogiannis through his sister, as well as his wife, Mina Hatzithanasiou, an engineer and Secretary General of the Municipality of Galatsi.

Sources from the former Secretary General’s circle stress that, so far, there is no reference in the extensive case file or evidence that personally implicates him or connects him to the alleged acts under investigation. In any case, the judicial investigation is ongoing, and final conclusions will come from the evaluation of all evidence by the competent authorities.

Pending issues

One of the most important open issues for YPEN at present—alongside special and local urban plans covering 70% of the country—is the reform of Building Control Services (YDOM). One year after the dismantling of a corruption ring involving corrupt officials in Halkidiki and Rhodes, the transfer of YDOMs to the Hellenic Cadastre was presented as the only viable solution to restore credibility in the licensing and planning control system.

However, despite political decisions, the plan remains largely inactive. No Building Control Service has yet been transferred to the new scheme, while implementation is continuously postponed.

Indicative of the government’s intentions regarding the future of YDOMs is the fact that the draft new Code of Spatial Planning and Urban Development currently in Parliament does not include provisions from Article 94 of the “Kallikratis” law, which enshrine municipal responsibility for urban planning, building permits, and construction control.

This omission is not considered accidental by sector insiders, as it is seen as signaling a shift away from municipal control and pointing toward a deeper restructuring of the system.

At the same time, the Ministry of Environment must urgently manage reactions to the new Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, issues concerning the siting of renewable energy projects, and the completion of Special Environmental Studies for a large part of Greek territory.

The shadow of corruption and the next day

The revelation of a new corruption network in urban planning brings back to the forefront a long-standing problem of public administration: corruption and undue influence in decision-making. Despite successive institutional reforms and digitalization efforts, corruption phenomena continue to appear in critical sectors related to land management, building permits, and investment implementation.

Serious irregularities and signs of unjustified wealth among urban planning officials were revealed by audits of the National Transparency Authority for 2023–2024.

According to findings, in three cases of urban planning officials, bank deposits totaling €350,483 were identified that could not be justified by declared income, while asset declaration audits revealed undeclared bank accounts, properties, vehicles, and shares.

In 2024, complaints regarding urban planning cases increased by 32%, reaching 123 compared to 93 in 2023. At the same time, the Authority continued inspections of building control services in Crete and the Aegean islands.

Cases involving unjustified assets were forwarded to prosecutorial authorities, the Court of Audit, and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), highlighting chronic dysfunctions that continue to plague the country’s urban planning services.

What causes the networks

The Panhellenic Federation of Public Sector Engineers (PO EMDYDA) argues that the problem cannot be solved only through organizational changes and transfers of responsibilities. It notes that these phenomena are linked to chronic structural issues such as lack of transparent selection procedures for senior officials, political interference in service operations, excessive and poor-quality legislation, weakening of public control in building permits, lack of legal protection for officials, understaffing of technical services, and pressure from powerful economic interests in land and environmental management.

Marilena Soukouli, who was appointed yesterday as Deputy Minister of Environment responsible for spatial planning and urban development, now takes over these open cases at a time when the ministry must not only continue ongoing reforms but also restore trust in one of the most sensitive sectors of public administration.