The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a package of financial assistance amounting to 500 million euros for the victims in Attica and Evia. The money will be distributed directly, through digital procedures, without bureaucracy. At the same time, he announced a special reconstruction program for Evia.
The Prime Minister personally apologized for the weaknesses, while he promised that the failures will be identified and the responsibilities will be attributed where necessary.
The full text of the Prime Minister’s message follows:
The last days have been one of the most difficult for our country for decades. We gave, and still give, the battle with all our might. But we are facing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions: in a few days, 586 fires broke out in all corners of Greece. With fires which, due to the unprecedented heat and the many months of drought, are now very difficult to extinguish.
Many countries are already assisting us with resources and staff. I thank them for their solidarity. Above all, however, I am grateful to all those who give the fight on the field. They struggle with a natural phenomenon that often exceeds their powers. And yet, they do not give up. In their blackened faces we see Greece that resists and insists. While the wave of support and mutual aid that spreads throughout the territory indicates the decision of this people to quickly rebuild what was demolished.
The fact that people were rescued, with complete evacuation plans, is due to the professionalism of the Civil Protection, the actions of the Police and the Coast Guard. It was not self-evident, nor a given. The same goes for the protection of many settlements that were not burned down thanks to the self-sacrifice of firefighters and volunteers, and of course our pilots and the Armed Forces. Within a few 24 hours in 141 areas, 62 organized evacuations of residents took place.
The extent of the disaster, especially in Evia and Attica, darkens the hearts of us all. And first of all I apologize for any weaknesses that existed. I fully understand the pain of our fellow citizens who saw their homes or property burned. The anger of those who moved away fast from their homes. Even the angry question of those seeking, for example, air assistance, without knowing if the firefighting aircraft were operating elsewhere or if the conditions were prohibitive.
Our reactions, however, must not be blind. Any failures will be identified. And the responsibilities will be assigned whenever and to whomever necassary. The first issue, right now, is solutions. Just as the first issue was and remains the protection of human life. That is why the account of this experience must include not only what was lost, but also what was saved in such a natural flare that has no precedent.
It is obvious that the climate crisis is now knocking on the door of the whole planet, with fires that last for weeks. This is the reason, but not an excuse or an alibi. And I will say it clearly: we may have done what was humanly possible, but in many cases this did not seem to be enough in the unequal battle with nature. Equally clearly, however, I will say that we will be next to those affected by the fire. As we did before, after the floods of “Ianos” in Thessaly or the great earthquake of Samos.
We owe it to ourselves to grit our teeth and move on. Other times too the country experienced disasters but remained standing. The same thing will happen in this ordeal, turning our sadness into strength. So we will continue on the front lines of firefighting, as the war on fire continues. And, at the same time, we will begin to heal our wounds: those who lost homes and property will be compensated, the burned areas will be reforested and the necessary flood defences will be start immediately.
We have already secured from the Recovery Fund significant resources for reforestation, primarily in Evia and Attica. While today I approved and supplementary budget of EUR 500 million specifically for these areas. And if necessary, there will be additional European aid. Our bet is to set the standard for a new beginning, a dynamic restart, to which I am confident that institutions, businesses and, above all, civil society itself will respond.
There we will plant not only many, but also the right trees, utilizing the most modern know-how. So that, with the help of nature, our forests can be reborn and life and the economy can return to the places that were hit by the flames.
The damage has already begun to be recorded. The bureaucracy will be wiped away. And the first compensations will be paid immediately, with a simple application of each interested party, which will be submitted on a single electronic platform. The € 1.8 billion Civil Protection Program of the Future also begins with prevention at its center. The entire Reconstruction Plan is placed under the supervision of the Office of the Prime Minister. For Evia, in fact, I promise that there will be a targeted program of restoration and development of the island. Tomorrow, at the Council of Ministers, specific announcements will be made. And in the coming days I will personally answer every question. I hope that the next day will dawn with cross-party consensus, because if the duty today belongs to the government, the responsibility for tomorrow belongs to all of us.
Allow me close with a personal note. As Prime Minister for 25 months, I managed many crises: from the asymmetric attack in Evros to the outbreak of the coronavirus. And from the repeated national challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean, to the big bet of vaccination. All have had multifaceted consequences for the economy and society. And they all seemed insurmountable at first. But we overcame them all with stubbornness and unity. This will happen now, as well, with bold decisions that will change many things.
I am certain that this test will also become an opportunity that will teach us and make us better. Because the challenge of the climate crisis concerns not only ours, but especially the next generation. Personally, I will continue to do what I have decided from the beginning: to speak the language of truth, to assume my responsibilities, to repel divisions and to unite the Greeks. And to work hard for the homeland we deserve.
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