The Greek Ministry of Interior Affairs and Aministrative Reconstruction is reaching out to the Diaspora, in its quest to find ways to set the crisis-stricken country back in motion. Speaking to the newspaper ‘To Vima’, Minister Petros Kouroublis confirmed that a large database of Greek scientists and entrepreneurs living outside Greece is being created, in order to be used as a platform of collaboration and assistance to Greece.
“We will create a digital platform of all the names and emails of the Greeks of the Diaspora, the scientists, the entrepreneurs. It is important for Greece to have a specific outlook on the Diaspora. The aim is to keep contact with the motherland and activate this manpower, putting it to use for the development of the country, but also for the pursuit of our national interests”.
Asked whether this is related to the issue of voting rights for the Diaspora, Mr Kouroublis said that this was a matter to be further discussed as “it needs to be a vote that would be of value to the people of the Diaspora” and said that the Greek government will have resolved that matter by the end of its four-year term.
Apart from this issue, Mr. Kouroublis talked about changes in the law regarding the councils and local municipalities in Greece and decentralisation of power. The Government is thinking of breaking down several councils, especially in areas where merging presented specific difficulties and talked about creating a mechanism ensuring equal growth opportunities to all Councils.