Editorial: Model

The little island of Astypalaia could show the way.

In view of the upcoming tourist season and a new sense of normalcy, the PM’s visit to the Dodecanese island yesterday could well serve as a trailer to promote Greece in the coming period.

The very swift en masse vaccination of residents is a draw in attracting foreign visitors. There, we see a “smart” gradual return of residents with new jobs combined with exploitation of the resources and capabilities of the island.

The investment by Volkswagen, combined with the assistance and favourable environment ensured by the state in order to make Astypalaia the first green and “smart” island of the Mediterranean, is yet another hopeful parameter of the collective challenge Greece faces and of the country’s innumerable comparative advantages.

We must not forget that we shall face major challenges in the immediate future. Ideally, we should fashion a new social and economic model for Greece.

The Digital Revolution, our climate, and our geostrategic position serve to push the country forward with the help of a proper distribution of EU Pandemic Recovery Fund monies.

That, along with drawing on our reassuring European and Western framework, will have a multiplier effect for a new growth model that can stem the brain-drain and utilise the skills of the younger generation on the path toward recovery and social cohesion.

We can be hopeful.