Profile: George Marinakis, Mayor of Rethymnon |
Our Mayer, George Marinakis
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As we reported in the very first issue of the Bugle, January 2007 saw George Marinakis taking up his post as the new Mayor of Rethymnon. George Marinakis and his party Nea Antilipsi gained control of the council in the local elections in October 2006. This represented a potential for a real change in direction for local government, as the previous incumbents had effectively been in power for several decades.
We thought it would be timely to ask the Mayor about his first year in office - his role as Mayor, the challenges and opportunities he had encountered, plans for the future and his more general thoughts about the town of Rethymnon.
As an Oxonian originally, the Bugle editor was interested to learn about the comparisons that could be drawn between the role of a Mayor here on Crete and that of a Mayor in the UK. The Mayor of Oxford has a purely ceremonial role, which is awarded to the longest standing councillor. Here, however, things are obviously very different: The Mayor is an elected representative of the people with considerable political clout, ideally adopting a ‘hands-on’ approach to local government.
These inter-cultural differences are immediately salient when sitting in the reception area in the Town Hall waiting to interview the Mayor.
In the UK, a typical Town Hall is an imposing elaborately decorated Victorian building, primarily used for ceremonial events. We tried to think about how often we had been to the Town Hall in Oxford in twenty years, and for what purpose. We came up with ’sitting a public exam’ (once), ’going to a concert’ (once) and ‘taking tourists to see the Museum of Oxford’ (twice). On the other hand, we couldn’t count the times that we have made use of the Town Hall here in the last four years!
The Town Hall in Rethymnon could never be described as an architectural jewel, but it is certainly functional as a civic building, and when we were there (as usual) it was a hive of activity. Workaday yet informal, the atmosphere is of a place that is made by the people, for the people.
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Challenges and Opportunities
Time to open doors? |
George Marinakis initially trained as a lawyer (he opened his first practice in 1982), he has also been involved in local politics for several years. He is clearly a man who loves Rethymnon, and he described with some passion the particular aspects of the town that make it a special place for him. Of course, he cited the physical attractions of the town and natural beauty of the setting — the Fortezza, the Old Town and Venetian Harbour, the long town beach and the combination of mountains and sea. However, equally important to him was the spirit of the town: He sees the people of Rethymnon as unique in their openness and friendliness, and it is with this in mind that he has approached his role as Mayor.
One of the biggest challenges that George Marinakis feels he has faced has been to try and ‘clean up the mess’ left by the previous administration — both literally and figuratively. In the political sphere he has worked hard to try and make local government more transparent and accountable - in line with the ethos of the town. Amongst other things, this has involved trying to re-structure allocation of municipal finances, and to change the out-moded working culture of officialdom. The Mayor is committed to an ‘open door’ policy. He feels that anybody and everybody from Rethymnon should be able to consult him as needs be, and feels strongly about his role as ‘facilitator’ for community benefit.
Environmental concerns are high on our Mayor’s agenda. As we have often reported, it is sad to relate that Crete, with one of the most stunning landscapes in the world, has a very poor record when it comes to maintenance and preservation of its unique environment. Furthermore, ‘refuse disposal policy’ is hardly a glamorous topic to talk about as a public figure. Nevertheless, George Marinakis was keen to flag the need to take steps to try and centralise waste disposal on the island, and to improve recycling facilities in the town. This will take time, and there is local resistance to overcome. For example, we reported in March that the illegal landfill site in Maroulas (long the bugbear of the EU) had closed, well, people were still using it unofficially as a tip until last month. It is now, finally, shut, apparently. Additional plans in the pipeline include a ‘Transformation of the beachfront from the Square of the Unknown Soldier down to the Venetian Harbour.’ The key aims here involve providing a cycle track and proper footpath on the beach side of road, and to restore the ‘canopies’ that line the street into their initial state. The original purpose of the ‘canopies’ was to ensure that each business had an equal amount of shaded outdoor space. Over the years, additional ‘DIY improvements’ have resulted in a ramshackle collection of semi-permanent structures along the street which obscure the fine Venetian architecture behind. Reversing this ‘development’ is going to be a tough call for the Mayor, but we were left in no doubt about his motivation.
Local and International Integration
Festivals such as Carnival and the Renaissance Festival are good ways to bring locals together and to welcome visitors to the town. However, when asking how ‘foreigners’ could contribute, our Mayor said two things: Firstly, that regardless of nationality, anyone who lived here was a citizen as far as he was concerned. Secondly: “Get involved!” He spoke warmly about the international co-operation that has benefited the work of charities such as Friends of the Animals and the Rethymnon Branch of the Red Cross, but also stressed that helping out was not just about giving money. Making friends with neighbours, participating in local events and volunteering skills are all valuable ways of becoming part of the community.
The Bugle thanks the Mayor for generously offering his time, and wishes him well for the future.
