Olympia Forum, on local governance

The four-day 2021 Olympia Forum: Empowering Cities & Regions opens on Wednesday at Zappeio in Athens for two days, before moving to Ancient Olympia, where it will continue for two more days. The event is organized by the Delphi Economic Forum and local newspaper Patris.

This 2nd Olympia Forum, the biggest conference in Greece dedicated to local and regional governance and cohesion policy, is taking place as citizens demand a more tangible level of accountability as centralized structures of power, both national and supranational, are considered distant and faceless. At the same time, more and more international organizations, central governments and private companies are learning to embrace the power of the local. Deconcentration of political power and economic activity is deemed crucial to unleash hidden economic and social potential, mitigate inequalities and strengthen social and territorial cohesion.

The forum will be launched by European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira.

It will feature a host of officials, including Interior Minister Makis Voridis, Development and Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kostas A. Karamanlis, Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Maritime Affairs Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis, Agricultural Development Minister Spilios Livanos and Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis, and regional and municipal leaders.

The forum includes several debates in English, featuring Elisa Ferreira and Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis at 11.35 a.m. and at 11.55 a.m., respectively, on Wednesday, and US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt at 3.40 p.m. on Friday.

Also, at 6.50 p.m. on Friday, there will be a presentation in English titled “The Olive Tree Replacement in Ancient Olympia.” It will feature Regional Governor of Western Greece Nektarios Farmakis, Ancient Olympia Mayor George Georgiopoulos, and the Arete Fund director, Steven de Laet, and chairwoman, Dianne de Laet. The presentation will be chaired by Yanos Gramatidis, of Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners.

To find out more, visit olympiaforum.gr. To register for attendance, go to lnkd.in/ezA2JJV.