23 March 2026 – As part of the qualitative research of the European Erasmus+ programme “Guardians of the Coasts”, implemented by Fotoessa with the Portuguese organisation Aequalitas, an interview was conducted with the Mayor of Saronikos, Mr Dimitris Papachristou, on the management and protection of the coasts and on safeguarding citizens' free access to the sea.
The discussion highlighted critical issues that directly concern Saronikos, an area under strong pressure from tourism development and with growing public demands for free beaches.
Selected excerpts:
“Environmental protection and free access are non-negotiable.”
“A typical example is Glyfada… a VIP, inaccessible environment is being created that excludes most people.”
“The constitutional protection exists, but in practice it is circumvented.”
“Society and local stakeholders must be involved before decisions are taken.”
These positions are directly linked to the debate that has been developing recently at local level too, with citizens' initiatives and movements highlighting the need to protect the public character of the coasts.
The Mayor's participation in and support for the programme currently being implemented carry particular weight because of:
- his extensive knowledge of coastal issues and local development,
- his institutional role in shaping policies that affect the future of coastal protection and public access,
- the fact that he represents a key coastal municipality next to the capital, with a growing number of residents and visitors
The interviews of the qualitative research of the “Guardians of the Coasts” programme will contribute to its goals of informing, educating, raising awareness among and empowering citizens, in order to support the collective effort to protect coastal ecosystems and to defend everyone's fundamental constitutional right to free access to the beaches.
About the programme
The “Guardians of the Coasts” project seeks to contribute to the protection and sustainable management of coasts and coastal ecosystems, and to ensuring equal access to the sea for all. The two-year programme includes training citizens, activists and volunteers in environmental advocacy, active participation in public affairs and public dialogue; hands-on workshops to develop communication and collaboration skills; exchange visits between the two countries, Greece and Portugal; a public awareness campaign; and the creation of an open-access information handbook.
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
