Crete’s mayors have become familiar with a peculiar ritual. Major infrastructure projects are announced in Athens, celebrated in conference halls, debated in television studios, and only then arrive at the desks of the local authorities expected to make them work. Speaking at the Economist conference in Chania, Rethymno Mayor and President of PED Crete Giorgis Marinakis suggested that this tradition may be overdue for retirement.
Listening to Giorgis Marinakis at the Economist conference in Chania, one could easily conclude that Crete is simultaneously blessed and burdened. The island continues to attract investment, visitors, and attention from policymakers, yet many of the problems local authorities have warned about for years remain stubbornly unresolved. Water scarcity is becoming harder to ignore, coastal erosion continues to reshape parts of the shoreline, and communities across the island are still waiting for infrastructure projects that somehow always seem to be just around the corner.
Yet beneath the familiar language was a more substantial argument: local governments are expected to manage the consequences of major decisions without participating in the decisions themselves.
The Question Is Not Whether Crete Needs Development
Nobody seriously disputes that Crete possesses considerable advantages.
Its location, universities, research institutions, agricultural production, tourism sector, and investment potential have been discussed at conferences for decades.
The debate has moved beyond whether development should happen.
The real question is how that development is planned and who gets to shape it.
Marinakis argued that municipalities have evolved beyond their traditional role as administrators handling local complaints and everyday services. Modern local government, he suggested, should function as a strategic partner in development planning. Whether Athens fully agrees remains another matter.
“We were not involved in any planning.”
«Δεν συμμετείχαμε σε κανέναν σχεδιασμό.»
Yet the most revealing part of Marinakis’s intervention arrived after the formal discussion had ended. Away from the carefully polished language of conference panels, the mayor observed that many local officials would likely recognize immediately: municipalities are often expected to deal with the consequences of major projects despite having little say in their design.
While acknowledging progress on major projects such as the Northern Road Axis of Crete and the new airport, Marinakis made a striking observation.
Local government, he said, did not participate in the planning process.
Not under the current administration.
Not under previous administrations.
That statement highlights a recurring tension in Greek governance.
Major projects often affect municipalities directly, yet local authorities frequently find themselves reacting to plans rather than helping design them.
Municipal leaders may then spend years managing local concerns, infrastructure demands, and citizen expectations generated by decisions made elsewhere.
Sustainability Needs More Than Slogans
Throughout his remarks, Marinakis repeatedly returned to the idea of sustainable development.
The phrase appears so frequently in public discussions that it sometimes risks becoming background noise.
Yet the concerns he listed are tangible.
Crete continues to face:
- Water shortages
- Coastal erosion
- Environmental pressure from tourism
- Flood-protection needs
- Energy challenges
- Strain on natural resources
These are issues already affecting communities across the island and requiring significant investment over the coming years.
The Real Request
Stripped of conference language, the mayor’s message was straightforward.
Municipalities do not merely want responsibility. They want influence, and instead of implementing policies, they want to help create them.
And they do not want to hear about major infrastructure plans only after the plans have already reached the construction stage.
Whether the central government is prepared to share that level of authority remains an open question.
But if local leaders are correct, one lesson appears increasingly difficult to ignore: the people expected to solve local problems may be worth consulting before the blueprints are finalized.
