Hersonissos Earthquake-Affected Areas Fight for Inclusion in Exoikonomo 2025 Program

• Hersonissos earthquake-affected areas seek inclusion in the “Exoikonomo 2025” energy efficiency initiative.
• Earthquake-affected residents are currently excluded from critical financial aid programs.
• Officials highlight constitutional principles and demand program adjustments to ensure equity.
• Recommendations involve revising guidelines for equal treatment of all earthquake-stricken municipalities.

It wasn’t just buildings that trembled on the morning of September 27, 2021—it was the foundation of fairness. Months after the earthquake fractured homes and hopes across Hersonissos, the following silence has grown heavier. Left outside the protective frame of the “Exoikonomo 2025” program, earthquake-affected residents of Hersonissos face a punishing injustice beyond the rubble.

The Hersonissos Town Council has now made a unanimous decision: this exclusion must end. In its resolution (02/2025), the Council has formally requested the inclusion of these areas in the “Exoikonomo 2025” program. These places, designated as heavily impacted in the Joint Ministerial Decision (ΚΥΑ) DAΕΦΚ-ΚΕ/118450/Α325/20.10.21 (amended February 2022), carry visible scars from that earthquake four years ago. The rationale is both pragmatic and moral. Leaving Hersonissos out of the program defies constitutional principles.

The Council’s plea isn’t overstated—it cites Article 4 of Greece’s Constitution, a cornerstone that guarantees the equality of all citizens under the law. But here’s the bitter reality: the same principles honoured in other disaster-struck regions are seemingly ignored in Hersonissos. Meanwhile, areas like Minoa Pediada have rightly benefited from additional support thanks to explicit provisions in the program’s guidelines.

“We Won’t Be the Forgotten Ones,” Officials Speak

The exclusion hits hard when contrasted with the already expanded boundaries of the program. For eligible towns, “Exoikonomo 2025” provides a subsidy covering 80% to 100% of rebuilding costs. Such directives specifically include residents of Arkalochori, as outlined in Ministerial Decision GDOU 978/05.11.2021. Why isn’t Hersonissos treated with the same level of care?

Mayor Zacharias Doxastakis didn’t let the exclusion pass quietly. His voice, worn but urgent, echoed the shared frustrations of his community. “This isn’t charity we’re asking for. It’s fairness. Hersonissos deserves the same support granted to Minoa Pediada. To leave us outside this program is not an oversight—it’s an injustice.”

He went further, pointing to glaring imbalances in funding disbursement and the technical barriers facing residents trying to apply. The program’s online submission system, fine-tuned to accept applicants from specific regions, actively blocks those from Hersonissos. It’s another reminder that stings—the shadow of neglect isn’t just accidental. “That platform—our residents stare at it, knowing they’ll never step through those digital gates.” Frustration swells into defiance, but the mayor holds steady. His belief in an eventual correction, almost reluctant, hangs in the air for now.

Demands in Black and White

The Council has been clear. Their demands don’t require special privileges but hinge on an elemental principle: treat earthquake-affected regions equally.

• Include all earthquake-affected areas of Hersonissos in the “Exoikonomo 2025” program.
• Modify the program’s platform to accept applicants from these zones seamlessly.
• Ensure maximum aid to Hersonissos residents, equal to other disaster-stricken municipalities, ranging from 80% to 100% subsidies.

The request is reasonable but searing in its simplicity—compassion can’t redraw borders of devastation. Neglect isn’t neutral; it deepens divides.

Every abandoned home, every fractured wall, every displaced resident—they tell a story of a community left waiting too long. The scars of the earthquake are fading into time, but the inequity remains. The clock ticks for the officials holding the power to rewrite this script. For the people of Hersonissos, justice isn’t a privilege. It’s overdue.