Additional European resources of € 83.8 million was received by the Region Thessalyafter Daniel bad weather, to support the affected areas through an integrated Plan approved by the Ministry of National Economy, the Secretariat of Union Resources and the European Commission.
Dimitris Kouretas presented the plan to the Regional Council, and the relevant consultation with the local community will be held. Thus, with a steady step and all available resources, Thessaly builds its future after the devastating floods in 2023.
In addition to infrastructure and channeling funds in entrepreneurship, primary sector, research, health, and education, the administration of the Region of Thessaly establishes confidence with citizens. If implemented correctly, the € 83.8 million plan may prove that the Region is not only a fund management office, but a tool for productive reconstruction and social cohesion.
The political challenge is clear: Local government to prove that it can design and perform with transparency, speed and vision. If it does, Thessaly will be an example of a region that has not been bent but re -erect, paving the way for a new relationship of trust between citizens and institutions.
The plan of 83.8 million euros
Plan strategy unfolds in four axes. The first concerns the infrastructurewith rehabilitation projects in the water and sewer networks affected. EUR 39.46 million will be allocated to projects in Larissa, Volos, Karditsa, Trikala, Palamas, Skiathos, Kalambaka, Almyros, Tyrnavos.
The second axis, with PC/ 19.2m euros aims at employmentthrough a public benefit program that will offer 2,182 positions to the unemployed in the area.
On the third axis, the entrepreneurshipincluding the support of very small businesses and the strengthening of new graduates who want to establish their own business. EUR 22 million through the Fund will be given a program for 500 new graduates.
Finally, the fourth axis concerns the coordinationby creating a special support mechanism for the Regional Coordination Authority, with PC/ EUR 3.2 million to monitor and direct the implementation of the actions.
Infrastructure: Shielding Projects
The first axis of the project concerns infrastructure and absorbs most of the resources, with a budget of € 39.46 million. The projects are focused on restoring water and sewerage networks, but also on critical wastewater treatment plants that have suffered serious damage. In Larissa, Volos, Karditsa, Trikala and Palamas, but also in Skiathos, Kalambaka, Almyros and Tyrnavos, interventions begin to upgrade local infrastructure. The project in Volos, of € 21 million, is the largest individual project in the project.
Employment: Breath for the unemployed
With unemployment in Thessaly moving at particularly high levels after Daniel’s bad weather, the second axis of the integrated plan focuses on enhancing employment. It provides for a € 19.2 million public work program, which will provide 2,182 jobs to the unemployed in the area.
New positions will cover real and immediate needs:
- 1.122 Employees will be employed in infrastructure rehabilitation projects and cleaning of roads, schools and hospitals.
- 555 employees will participate in environmental actions, such as reforestation and streams.
- 340 workers will strengthen municipal services and social structures.
- 165 workers will take on social care duties for elderly and vulnerable groups.
Entrepreneurship: New perspectives
The third axis focuses on entrepreneurship, with a total budget of € 22 million. The aim is to support the very small businesses found out of bank lending and to give young graduates to stay in Thessaly and attempt.
Two actions stand out:
- Smorns Fund (EUR 10 million): Loans of up to 25,000 euros with no collateral, combined with mentoring services.
- Program for graduates (€ 12 million): Support for the establishment of 500 new businesses, with grants covering operating expenses and new jobs.
Coordination: The mechanism that unites
The fourth axis concerns coordination and provides for the creation of a mechanism for supporting the Regional Coordination Authority, with a budget of € 3.2 million. The mechanism will undertake progress monitoring, digital platform management and securing transparency and information to citizens. The Coordinating Authority brings together representatives of municipalities, the region, the DBA and the productive bodies.
A plan with an open horizon
Thessaly, who has experienced the destruction of Daniel’s bad weather, is currently trying to chart a new course. The integrated plan presented is not static; on the contrary, it is dynamic and is projected to adapt to the needs that arise in the future. This element makes it more than a project program: it turns it into a tool of long -term political planning.
In practice, the plan combines four critical dimensions: the restoration of damage, the support of society, the push of entrepreneurship and the strengthening of coordination institutions. It is a network of actions that is not limited to healing its wounds yesterday, but aims to build a more durable region for tomorrow.
Dimitris Koureta’s goal is to rapidly implement the plan. He knows that he has to deal with bureaucracy and other well -known public administration pathogens, but the mandate he has given to his associates is that these actions reach citizens in time. Thessaly does not only need compensation, it needs a vision and a plan. And now it gets it.