Greek PM Pledges €3 Billion for Recovery and New Projects in Flood-hit Thessaly

Flooded areas in Thessaly.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Region of Thessaly in central Greece this week, an area severely impacted by last year’s floods, which caused extensive damage to homes, agricultural production, and infrastructure.

Mitsotakis announced that the government would allocate more than 3 billion euros to assist disaster-stricken Thessaly. During a meeting with residents at the city hall of Farkadona, he thanked the local community for their feedback and support as the government works to address the challenges created by last year’s storm “Daniel”.

According to Mitsotakis, approximately 600 million euros worth of projects have already been implemented in Thessaly over the past year.

“We are talking about a total of 3 billion euros, with about half dedicated to support and restoration efforts, including special mortgage loans for affected residents and additional funding for local authorities. The other half is earmarked for infrastructure projects being planned by the Ministry of Finance and Economics,” Mitsotakis said. He also noted that further funding would be allocated for the construction of large dams in Thessaly, which were necessary regardless of the floods.

Inauguration of two new health centers

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Palama health center. Photo source: Prime Minister press office

During his visit to Thessaly, the Prime Minister also inaugurated two new health centers in Mouzaki and Pyli. Additionally, it was announced that four new anti-flooding projects commenced on September 1st in the four prefectures of Thessaly—Karditsa, Trikala, Larissa and Magnesia—at a total cost of 75 million euros.

Master plan and project updates

It should be noted that the Dutch company HVA, which developed the master plan for necessary infrastructure in Thessaly, has been awarded the studies for four major projects that needed revisions due to storm “Daniel”. These include the construction of two dams in Mouzaki and Pyli, the Gyrtoni Canal directing water flow towards Lake Karla, and modifications to the dam gates at Karla.

Addressing drought with water supply projects

Infrastructure Minister Christos Staikouras, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Photo source: Prime Minister press office

Amid concerns over drought in Thessaly, Greece’s Ministry of Agricultural Development is planning several water supply projects to address water scarcity in the region.

Acknowledgment of support from the Union of Greek Shipowners

Highlighting the ongoing and planned projects in Thessaly, Mitsotakis expressed gratitude to the Union of Greek Shipowners for their financial support following the storm. He noted that part of their contribution was used for the renovation of school buildings, emphasizing, “We are rebuilding the schools even better than they were before.”

Greek land register to be completed by late 2025

During his visit to the Land Register Office in Larissa, Thessaly, Mitsotakis expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Greek Land Register project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The register will be fully digitalized, with several functions incorporating Artificial Intelligence.

Upcoming speech at Thessaloniki International Fair

The Prime Minister’s visit to Thessaly occurred just days before his annual address on the state of the economy and future plans at the Thessaloniki International Fair, which will take place from September 7 to 15.