During his visit to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection on 24 April, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ahead of the start of the fire-fighting season, thanked private donors for their contributions towards increasing the number of available drones. He also highlighted the government's focus on individual responsibility and land clearing, and announced that new equipment would be available starting next year.
“An ambitious programme aimed at significantly upgrading all of our equipment is underway,” he stated. “This is the ‘AIGIS’ programme, which aims to significantly increase the number of projects by the end of the year, so that we can start receiving new equipment from next year.” ‘AIGIS’ is a €2 billion programme for the enhancement of Civil Protection, funded by the Recovery Fund. In 2023, former Minister Vasilis Kikilias criticised the programme, noting that it had a 1% absorption rate when he took office.
“We have doubled the number of drone bases, and I want to thank the private individuals who have helped us with donations in this effort. At the same time, an ambitious programme to upgrade all of our equipment is in progress. The ‘AIGIS’ programme is set to increase the number of projects by the end of the year, so that next year we can start receiving new equipment,” Mitsotakis added during his meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, raising questions about the current state of fire trucks.
It should be remembered that in 2023 former Minister Vasilis Kikilias had complained that the ‘AIGIS’ programme had an absorption rate of only 1% when he took over.
Once again, the PM emphasised the importance of individual responsibility and land clearing, and announced the extension of the deadline for this process until June 15th.
“700,000 citizens have cleared their properties, protecting their own assets and assisting the fire service in combating fires. The Ministry has wisely decided, due to the climatic conditions, to extend the land clearing process until 15 June, and I appeal to our fellow citizens to surpass last year’s numbers. It shows that we are protecting our own property and contributing to a broader effort to tackle a phenomenon that, as we have said, will become increasingly difficult to manage,” he stated.
He also made sure to highlight – and take credit for – the “improvement of the economy” and warned of the challenges posed by the climate crisis. “The difficult times are ahead of us,” he remarked. “Recently, I spoke about the Greek economy, saying that the best is yet to come, but with the same honesty, we must acknowledge that when it comes to the climate crisis, the hardest times are ahead. We must be prepared for the worst-case scenarios, and every year we need to improve and be ready,” he added. He further emphasised that “the climate crisis is here, and we know our summers will be hotter and drier. We will face climatic conditions that will favour the start of fires and their rapid escalation.”
Additionally, he mentioned, “For 2025, we will have the largest number of men and women in the fire service, and I am pleased that the number of volunteers offering their services is steadily increasing.” He also expressed satisfaction with the “integration of technology in both fire prevention and, primarily, in the rapid detection of fires.”
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