P. Koukoulopoulos: “To recognize the N. Kardia Kozani as a separate community”

A parliamentary intervention was made by the Member of Parliament of Kozani of PASOK – Movement of Change, Paris Koukoulopoulos, demanding from the political leadership of the Ministry of the Interior that the request of the residents of Nea Kardia Kozani be satisfied and finally that their settlement be recognized as a separate community.

The following is the full text of the Question he tabled in Parliament:

“The recognition as a Municipal Community of the independent settlement of Nea Kardia of the Municipal Community of Koila of the Municipality of Kozani is a reasonable request of the residents, based on local historical reasons, it was approved by the Municipal Council and needs rapid satisfaction by the Ministry of the Interior.

In particular, the residents of Nea Kardia Kozani, with a memorandum bearing 277 signatures, have requested that their independent settlement be recognized as a Municipal Community, due to the special characteristics, morals, customs and traditions that have developed over the years.

As noted in the aforementioned memorandum, approximately in the middle of the route Kozani – Ptolemaida there was the village of Trebeno. The Community of Trebenos was initially recognized in the F.E.K. 260/1918. Subsequently, in 1927 it was renamed Kardia and showed significant growth, while from the beginning of 1960 the residents were guaranteed additional employment in the factories under construction and later a fixed daily wage as employees of D.E.H. In 1976, however, the village was forcibly expropriated, with its division and relocation into two settlements, in Nea Kardia Kozani and in Nea Kardia Ptolemaida, with the first of these belonging today to the Municipal Community of Koilon Kozani. Its inhabitants, therefore, rightly emphasize the need to save their special historical characteristics and to this end request that it be recognized as a Municipal Community. They even document that the conditions of the relevant institutional framework are met.

The request of the residents was approved by the Municipal Council of Kozani, with the number 370/2023 Decision taken at the meeting of August 22, 2023 (ADA: Ω80THOLP-RCHO), which is attached to this Question and has been sent to the Ministry of the Interior with the number 38300/2023 document of the Municipality of Kozani.

Given that paragraph 6 of article 283 of Law 3852/2010, as amended by Article 47 of Law 5027/2023, states that “By presidential decree issued at the proposal of the Minister of the Interior following a recommendation by the relevant Municipal Council, the which is based on developmental, transport or historical reasons, a settlement that has been registered as independent, with a permanent population of more than three hundred (300) inhabitants, can constitute a Municipal Community”.

Given that Koila and Nea Kardia are not far apart, but have distinct historical and cultural characteristics, due to the origin of Nea Kardia from the forced relocation of the historic village.

Given that the recognition of the independent settlement of Nea Kardia Kozani as a Municipal Community is of special importance for the residents and can contribute positively to the local community, facilitating the organizational function and exercise of the Municipality’s responsibilities.

Given that the permanent population of the settlement of Nea Kardia is 423 inhabitants, according to No. 2081/B4-241 Decision of the Hellenic Statistical Authority on the results of the 2021 census up to the level of the settlement, published in the Government Gazette on April 7, 2024 (F.E.K. B’ 2090).

The Minister is asked:

1) Do you intend to satisfy the reasonable request for recognition as a Municipal Community of the independent settlement of Nea Kardia of the Municipal Community of Koila of the Municipality of Kozani?

2) If so, what specific actions will you take and within what timeframe?

The Questioning Member of Parliament

Koukoulopoulos Paraskevas (Paris)