Editorial: Mishaps

Editorial: Mishaps

The alarm bell that the deputy prefect of Crete rang regarding the capacity of the island’s power grid also constitutes a sombre warning regarding the adequacy of the country’s infrastructure in general.

Is the existing infrastructure adequate to serve both residents and millions of visitors in the summer? Have there been maintenance works and is there a plan to deal with emergencies or has the infrastructure been abandoned?

The concerns of local government leave little room for optimism, but instead of vigilance on the part of authorities we see complacency.

It suffices to imagine the repercussions of a blackout in a country that depends heavily on summer tourism, a basic pillar of the economy, in order to understand that a local problem can become a national one.

The competent authorities are obliged to take all necessary measures to rule out such a prospect, as it would leave the island in the dark and internationally mar the country’s image as a tourist destination in an exceptionally competitive environment. Here, mishaps are impermissible.