The Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in a statement by the Press Office of its Central Committee, stresses that the two deaths, the flooding of homes, schools, vehicles and infrastructure, and the overflowing of streams cannot be attributed simply to extreme weather. According to the party, they are the outcome of a state policy that treats the protection of human life as a “cost” and limits its response to school closures, 112 warning messages and appeals to “individual responsibility”, instead of carrying out essential anti-flood and anti-erosion works.

The KKE points in particular to eastern Attica, where recent wildfires combined with the absence of protective projects intensified flooding, as well as to the coastal front and the southern suburbs. There, it argues, the contrast is stark: alongside flagship investments linked to the so-called “Athenian Riviera”, entire neighbourhoods are buried in mud and residents are put at risk. Similar conditions persist in Thriasio Pedio, where communities live under constant threat of flooding while the area is opened up to large-scale business interests. The party calls on citizens not to be misled by the familiar “ping-pong” of responsibilities between central government and local authorities, nor to accept the argument that such disasters are inevitable due to the climate crisis, insisting that the risks were well known and that the necessary infrastructure could be built today with adequate funding and planning.

From PASOK, Andreas Poulas, head of the party’s parliamentary sector for the climate crisis and civil protection, and Michalis Chalaris underline that the severe weather was “not a surprise”. In a joint statement, they note that extreme rainfall and storms are no longer rare events and are repeatedly forecast, recalling similar flooding during Storm Adel in late 2025. They argue that warning systems are necessary but insufficient, warning that when 112 messages replace infrastructure projects, maintenance and institutional coordination, they function as an alibi rather than a plan.

PASOK highlights Attica as a textbook case of structural vulnerability, pointing out that hundreds of streams have been covered or channelled underground, forcing water toward already overburdened outlets such as Kifissos and Ilissos. The party calls for a unified flood protection masterplan for Attica, a national digital registry of streams and watersheds, mountain hydrology projects, completion of critical infrastructure, clear allocation of maintenance responsibilities between regions and municipalities, and modern risk-mapping tools integrated into urban planning. “The real challenge,” PASOK stresses, “is not issuing more SMS alerts, but addressing the vulnerability of society itself.”

Meanwhile, Socrates Famellos, president of SYRIZA, visited the flood-stricken areas of Ano Glyfada, accusing the government of prioritising ex post management over prevention. Speaking after meetings with residents, professionals and the mayor of Glyfada, Giorgos Papanikolaou, Famellos said that civil protection messages cannot substitute for major anti-flood and anti-erosion projects, particularly in the wider Hymettus area.

Famellos also recalled that Greece was condemned by the European Court of Justice for delays in flood risk management planning, arguing that the government postponed the implementation of the relevant EU directive and excluded key flood control projects from Recovery Fund financing. He linked the flooding to broader policy choices, including the dismantling of public water management structures and the prioritisation of large redevelopment schemes without the necessary infrastructure. SYRIZA, he said, will raise the issue in Parliament, insisting that there can be no real development, safety or quality of life without a strong state and systematic prevention policies.

______________________________________________

Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective?  Subscribe monthly or annually  to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.

Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.