Building against our long-term interest

Construction of a holiday home overlooking a bay on an Aegean island. In an interview with Kathimerini, Theodoros Aravanis, a retired Council of State judge, criticizes Environment Ministry plans to facilitate construction outside town plans. He argues these plans run counter to the Constitution, which specifies that for a building permit to be issued, a plot must have a frontage on a recognized public street. “This rule cannot be circumvented because to do so would contravene the Constitution,” he says. “Let’s consider not our short-term interests but also the well-being of our children. The harm inflicted by perpetuating the current system will be irreversible.” [Shutterstock]