Kalliopi Vetta: The ND calls the merger of organizations and the loss of millions of euros in modern culture “Creative Greece” – Speech in the Parliament

The MP P.E. Kozanis and Head of Tourism SYRIZA P.S. Mr. Kalliopi Vetta spoke yesterday in the Plenary of the Parliament during the discussion of the bill of the Ministry of Culture, entitled: “Creative Greece: strengthening the cinematographic, audio-visual and creative sector, establishment of a body for the book and other provisions for modern culture”.

Mrs. Vetta initially pointed out that this is another ND bill with a pretentious title, as it shrinks and merges organizations of modern culture, without to date the ND government having apologized for its actions. In addition, he pointed out that it is not possible for the ND to remember today, 5 years later, “Creative Greece”, when in 2019 and 2020 it withdrew from the Public Investment Program millions of euros of funds that SYRIZA had secured for Contemporary Culture actions throughout the country .

Regarding the merger of the National Film Center with EKOME, despite the objections of the organizations and filmmakers, Mrs. Vetta noted that the confinement of art to investments with private financial criteria and with the State absent does not constitute a National Policy for Cinema.

Regarding the great scandal of the – still closed – AKROPOLIS, the Member of Parliament reminded that the Law brought by the ND in 2020 for the institution is being amended for the third time, which of course was in a completely opposite direction to the bill submitted by SYRIZA in 2019. However , 4 whole years passed and AKROPOL did not open, shouting the managerial inadequacy of Mrs. Mendonis, who continued the mismanagement unabated: She created a Board of Directors in 2022 for the closed building and in addition did not manage to absorb even 1 euro from the NSRF for the organization and pilot operation of AKROPOL, amounting to 3.7 million euros, which has already expired, as complained by Ms. Vetta (attached). Nevertheless, yesterday the government again amended the Law, in order to pre-election increase the positions and salaries of the Board of Directors. and to lower the qualifications of the Director who will be hired at the still-closed institution!

At the same time, the Member of Parliament testified in the minutes of the POTHA complaint, that of the amount of 28 million euros of the TAA announced by the YPPO for artists and craftsmen, only 470,000 euros have been absorbed to date and she asked herself: “Really, who are you kidding? It means “Creative Greece” without the support of the workers in Art and Culture?”.

The same is happening with the Book, noted the MP, referring to the relevant provisions of the bill: “In 5 years you tell us that you will establish an agency and while SYRIZA had already filed a bill in 2019 for the establishment of a national agency for the Book, on the late minister of Myrsinis Zorbas, you also referred this to the Kalendas … and you come today and what are you doing? You add the word “Book” to another body, the Hellenic Culture Foundation, creating a cumbersome structure, which does not respond to any need of the ecosystem of the Book”.

Meanwhile, there is no accountability for the Hellenic Cultural Foundation either, as Ms. Vetta pointed out, expressing her concern that such sketchy arrangements are a pretext to cover up the opacity, damages and management deficits created by the ND government in cultural organizations.

“You fail to look into the future and design public cultural policies for the people and the needs of society,” concluded the MP.