Stavros Theodorakis, leader of To Potami, visited Idomeni yesterday, in order to witness the serious situation and the problems in the area, due to the lack of any governmental planning. Accompanied by the Mayor of Paionia, the leader of To Potami witnessed the dramatic conditions and promised to submit questions before the Parliament in regards with the evacuation of Idomeni.
Mr Theodorakis stated, “It is our duty to host and help these people who fled from war. But, at the same time, it is our duty to protect the life of local society. Due to the absence of the state, and the lack of decisions, there is hardly any activity left in the area. The Municipality that carries the burden of the developments must be reinforced and relieved.
Mr Theodorakis said, “There is something important that the government needs to realize. There is a lot at stake. Unless life gets back to normal, we will have to deal with insurmountable problems. The local society cannot find solutions on its own. The state is supposed to make the decisions. In this framework, it is inconceivable that there is a refugee camp, right here, with absolutely no infrastructure. Refugees and migrants must leave this place and move to reception centers. But, for this to happen, steps must be made in a decisive way. The government and its institutions, they must show up in Idomeni and make clear to refugees and migrants that they have no hope staying here, they are just torturing themselves”.
He then added, “The state is absent. There is the municipality here, some organizations, the policy, but the state, in the sense of an authority in charge of a generalized coordination, is missing. Unfortunately, in Idomeni, just like on the islands, the government is absent”.
Asked to comment on the fact that the railway in Idomeni does not work anymore, resulting in an economic deadend, Mr Theodorakis said, “It is a shame that this railway, which is so important for the commerce of the country, remains shut. We must make decisions. We must take decisive measures, so that no one will believe that they can do whatever in our railway network”.
Photo credit: Theodore Manolopoulos
