- Twenty ELTA branches to close across all four regional units of Crete
- Locals fear delays in pensions, payments, and deliveries
- Workers warn of job losses and growing privatization
- Politicians promise “restructuring” — locals call it “nonsense”
When the local post office shuts down in a Cretan village, it is not just the mail that disappears — it is half the community. It was the place where pensioners went to discuss the weather, where small business owners sent invoices, and where everyone knew who received the most packages from Amazon.
Now, with twenty ELTA branches across Crete closing, people are asking the obvious question: “Where are we supposed to go? The next village? Or Athens?”
The “Laïki Syspeirosi” (People’s Rally) of Crete calls the closures what they are — a downgrade of public life and a blow to those who still rely on old-fashioned letters and cash payments. According to their statement, “This is not a sudden decision, but part of a long-term plan to privatize and commercialize public services — a plan all governments have faithfully followed.”
Translation: the state has decided that convenience is overrated.
Local councillors Alekos Marinakis, Dimitris Vrysalis, and Nikos Manousakis did not mince words:
“The few post offices left were the last link between citizens and essential services. Closing them means leaving entire areas without postal or banking coverage — and more profits for private contractors.”
They might as well have said, “If you need your pension, bring hiking boots.”
In short:
- Fewer workers
- More relocations
- More stress
- And, naturally, more profits for someone else
It is not the first time Crete has been hit with such “modernization.” Over the past decade, locals have watched as hospitals, schools, and public offices have vanished one by one. It is a familiar pattern: when a service is helpful, it gets “restructured.” When it is profitable, it gets “liberated.”
And when it fails? Well, then it is your fault for not downloading the app.
The People’s Rally insists that the post must remain a public, universal service — because, frankly, not everything can be delivered by drone or WhatsApp. They are calling for all branches to stay open, fully staffed, and publicly funded.
Meanwhile, in small towns from Sitia to Kissamos, older men are already planning their next protest — or at least trying to find someone to print the flyers. Without a post office, they will probably have to shout louder.
