Alexis Tsipras laid out his party’s positions on the present and future of local government at an event held at the Serafeio venue in the Municipality of Athens. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, who entered with Giorgos Karameros, Piraeus Mayor Giannis Moralis, Thessaly Regional Governor Dimitris Kouretas, and numerous supporters attended.
Tsipras opened by thanking attendees, singling out the mayors present at the event held by his party, ELAS. He then turned to the depopulation of rural areas, noting that some schools won’t even open their doors this year. On cities, he said young couples now need close to a full salary just to cover rent, and can’t move out of their parents’ homes until their 30s, adding that Greece has become one of the most centralized places in Europe.
He then invoked the late Manolis Glezos, quoting his line that Greece doesn’t have self-governance, it has governance imposed from outside. Tsipras said the goal isn’t bureaucratic tweaks, but a new outlook for the country.
Tsipras presented the plan, named “Aristotle,” which he described as the first pillar of what he’s calling a “New Metapolitefsi” (a new political era) for the country. He said society isn’t asking for a different government, but a different state and new institutions. He explained the name is meant to evoke Aristotle’s philosophy of moderation and virtue aimed at collective wellbeing, saying the roots of Greek thought should bear modern fruit, and that Greece should finally become “the Greece of Europe.”
He outlined four core principles behind the plan: proximity, subsidiarity, effectiveness, and democratic accountability. On top of those, he set out one non-negotiable rule: every Greek citizen is entitled to the same rights and services anywhere in the country, whether in Marousi or on Tilos, in Kolonaki or in the Agrafa mountains.
Pillars and Changes Under the “Aristotle” Plan
Tsipras described the plan as the major act of this “New Metapolitefsi,” aimed at giving all citizens equal rights and services nationwide. It rests on three pillars: the regions, municipalities with metropolitan-level powers, and a revival of local government generally.
He said this amounts to a new architecture for the state and a new relationship between the central government, regions, municipalities, and citizens, and that becoming “the Greece of Europe” means more than following EU law, it means connecting the country’s own history and struggles to the principles born of the Enlightenment.
He said the plan shifts the country from externally imposed governance to genuine self-governance, arguing that almost nothing gets decided where people actually live, with decisions instead made for them by a distant, overgrown central bureaucracy.
One of the plan’s most significant elements is scrapping the regional administrative bodies known as “Apokentromenes Diikisis” (Decentralized Administrations). Tsipras said these function as a bureaucratic layer between central government and local authorities, causing delays and fragmenting responsibility. Their powers, staff, and resources would be transferred to the directly elected regional governments.
Under the plan, the central government becomes a “Headquarters-State”: one that plans, coordinates, sets national goals, and evaluates outcomes, while leaving implementation to the level with local knowledge and proximity to citizens. Tsipras stressed that no major reform can rest on good intentions alone, it needs strong institutional guarantees and rules to keep decentralization permanent regardless of which government is in power.
Geographic Equality and New Tools for Local Government
Tsipras said Greece cannot be split into first- and second-tier citizens, and that quality of life shouldn’t depend on where someone lives. He announced a new National Policy on Geographic Equality, meant to ensure no major public policy is adopted without assessing its geographic impact. He also announced a new National Observatory on Geographic Equality and a redesign of how public funds are allocated, factoring in island status, mountainous terrain, demographic decline, and the real needs of each area.
Doukas Speaks on Local Government
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas also addressed the event, describing Serafeio as a hub for innovative initiatives. He said democracy can be effective in everyday life, pointing to the role of local government within the progressive and left-leaning political space. Doukas spoke of “everyday democracy,” citing the tough climate and what he called a harsh assault on local government, and noted Athens has lost key tools and resources, with its budget now just 650 million euros, while criticizing the new electoral system imposed by the government.
He also pointed to challenges facing the municipality, including the need to take out a loan to fix up schools, along with problems in education and healthcare. He closed by saying progressive mayors can show there’s another way to govern.
