Mitsotakis rejects criticism over Meriç recovery plan
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has rejected criticism over the government's recovery and development plan for Meriç (Evros), insisting that the project is moving ahead and that its funding has been secured.
Speaking about the resignation of former PASOK minister Stavros Benos from the Special Committee for the Development and Reconstruction of Evros, Mitsotakis said he disagreed with Benos' assessment of the process.
“I don’t think he’s right,” Mitsotakis said, pointing to a presentation of the plan by local authorities at a committee meeting in Nea Vyssa in late July.
Benos warns of major deviations
Benos resigned from the committee on Sept. 2, warning that the post-fire recovery effort could deteriorate without a comprehensive approach and a single operational center.
He argued that the project had moved substantially away from the master plan prepared by his NGO, Diazoma, and submitted to the government.
According to Benos, the original framework has been replaced by an Integrated Territorial Investment involving 108 projects with a total budget of €309.9 million.
He said the revised plan represented a €2.69 billion reduction from the government's initial financial commitments and added that he had been caught off guard by the changes.
Government says commitments remain intact
Mitsotakis defended the government's approach, saying the full financing package had been approved and implementation was underway.
“The full financing package has been approved…and the project is being implemented,” he said.
The prime minister added that attention should remain focused on the substance of the planned interventions and maintained that the government remained consistent with its basic commitments to the northeastern border region.
The disagreement comes as Meriç (Evros) continues to face the long-term consequences of devastating wildfires, with the recovery plan intended to support reconstruction, economic development and broader revitalization across the region.
