Mitsotakis: The first time so much funding is spent on preventative actions' for climate crisis

The climate crisis is already here and threatens lives, assets, and critical infrastructure, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, speaking at the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry at the event on the 'Aegis' civil protection preparedness project, the largest of its kind in Greece.

Prevention, management, and restoration are necessary in fighting of climate crises, but protecting human lives is the top priority, Mitsotakis said, thanking first responders in fires, floods, and earthquakes, especially volunteers.

The premier noted that "we have done whatever we best could, to the degree possible, to be as prepared as possible this summer," especially with large forest fires. He noted that sentences were made tougher for arsonists and careless people alike. He also underlined that "all forestlands that have been burned are declared as subject to reforestation automatically."

Mitsotakis highlighted the importance of prevention and said "it is the first time that so many funds are spent on preventative actions," while he also noted that "there is personal responsibility for cleaning up empty lots." Technology and artificial intelligence were also brought in to test for new forecasting models in fires and flooding.

"Greece in 2024 is nothing like Greece in 2019, when Civil Protection was a marginalized secretariat and housed in a decrepit building, with the 112 system not activated," he said of the Europe-wide emergency number, also noting the contributions of former civil protection ministers Nikos Hardalias and Christos Stylianides.

Among other issues, Mitsotakis said that the funding for Aegis was provided by the Recovery Fund, NSRF, and the European Investment Bank, and he spoke of new water-dousing aircraft Greece will receive as well as helicopters. The EU Recovery Fund alone, he said, has provided 36 billion euros to Greece, half of it in outright support and the rest in low-interest-rate loans.

"What Greeks will vote for on June 9 is which political power is able to secure funding for the country, which one can negotiate a more flexible Common Agricultural Policy, which one can formulate Europe's position on the migration issue," Mitsotakis said, referring to the European Parliament elections. "Greeks will declare whether they want Greece to remain on the trajectory of progress it has followed for the last five years, away from experimentations and adventures," he emphasized.