Filenews 1 July 2025
The Minister of the Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, in a written statement, indirectly blames the Parliament on the problems arising from the reform of Local Government, mainly focusing on the large number of deputy mayors but also on the number and composition of the Municipalities.
On the occasion of the completion of one year since the start of the implementation of the Reform, the minister refers to gaps and errors that have been identified which, as he says, the government is attempting to resolve.
Regarding the mistakes and gaps identified by the government, the minister records the following:
-Indicative are the problems faced by some of the new Municipalities, as a result of the mergers that took place, without taking into account the recommendations of the experts and the studies that had been carried out.
-Equally important is the distortion created in the institution of Deputy Mayors due to their large number in relation to their limited duties.
The minister also blames the Local Authorities for the lack of proper preparation, stating:
"Furthermore, it became apparent in time that the transitional period of two years that was given was not used by everyone (Municipalities, Community Clusters and Provincial Local Government Organizations) for proper preparation. This creates Local Authorities of different speeds, even though the starting point of all was common.
Furthermore, the minister characterizes the Reform as "a huge and demanding change, which began with several difficulties and problems".
"As a Government, since assuming the governance of the country, we have identified gaps and mistakes, which we have been trying to correct ever since," added Mr. Ioannou's statement.
The minister also mentions the following: "Despite the great challenges and problems we have in front of us, no one doubts the necessity of the reform. Although there are significant weaknesses, the new framework of Local Government is clearly better than the previous environment and, in the long run, will have benefits for the whole society.
In order to achieve the improvement of the functioning of Local Authorities, we are in constant consultation with the Provincial Local Government Organizations, as well as with the Associations of Municipalities and Communities, as well as with the Parliamentary Committee on the Interior. We work on a daily basis and provide solutions to many problems, in order to ensure the functionality and sustainability of the reform".
As a Government, we are determined to propose substantial changes where and where necessary, so that everyone, State and Local Authorities, have the necessary legislative tools to effectively respond to the needs and expectations of citizens, concludes Mr. Ioannou.
