The issue of Aretsou Marina returns to Parliament once again within the same month, as the MP for Thessaloniki A’ of PASOK – Movement for Change, Rania Thraskia, submitted a new parliamentary question.
Judging the answers she received from the responsible Ministers during the discussion of her Urgent Question as insufficient and unconvincing, which she had submitted on November 4—just one day after the Kalamaria Municipal Council session at Remezzo, dedicated solely to developments at the Marina—Ms. Thraskia returned with a new Question, raising the issue with greater intensity and requesting full documentation on critical issues that remain unanswered.
The MP points out that the recent Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) regarding the location and environmental terms of the marina was issued without taking into account the pending appeal of the Municipality of Kalamaria at the Council of State, without considering the positions of local authorities and society, without a feasibility study, without a cost-benefit analysis, and without substantiated justification.
Ms. Thraskia emphasizes that the TAIPED plan transforms Aretsou Marina into an overbuilt commercial and tourist complex, with a condo hotel, retail stores, fences, and changes of use, completely altering its nautical character and depriving citizens of free access to public space.
She also refers to the historic Remezzo building, which, instead of being upgraded into a Cultural Center and Library as requested by the Municipality, is planned to be converted into offices and storage spaces.
With her new question to the Ministers of National Economy and Finance, Environment and Energy, and Tourism, the MP asks for answers to the following questions:
On what basis is the Kalamaria Marina being transformed into a commercial property, and what are the benefits for the public and local community?
Whether they intend to reconsider the terms of the concession in collaboration with the Municipality of Kalamaria.
How Thessaloniki’s tourism product will be enhanced, with emphasis on yachting, cruising, and marine activities.
What measures will be taken to protect the coastal front and ensure free, unobstructed access for citizens to Aretsou Marina.
The MP stresses that the current plan is an anti-developmental, environmentally harmful, and anti-tourism choice, causing justified concern and opposition among the local community.
The Municipality of Kalamaria once again thanks the MP for Thessaloniki A’ for bringing the issue to the central parliamentary level. It notes:
*”The active support of MPs through parliamentary oversight and their presence at critical sessions of the Municipality’s collective bodies strengthens our institutional effort for an Aretsou Marina that is open, sustainable, and truly accessible to citizens.
We are confident that, with continued pressure and the joint effort of all institutions, Kalamaria’s struggle for its coastal front will be vindicated.”
