The big decision
The 2004 Athens Olympic Games marked a great opportunity for the Greek capital to turn into a major European destination, in the way that Barcelona did back in 1992. Billions of euros were spent on preparing the city, but beyond developing the infrastructure, Greek politicians proved incapable of putting Athens’s unique advantages to good use, such as its waterfront, to name just one. Nevertheless, 10 years after hosting the Games, Faliro beach remains a dump, although a project to revamp it does exist and funds had been available to carry it out.
Someone, however, thought it better to move on to other projects and abandon the Faliro Delta, possibly because it did not enjoy the support of powerful business interests. What a pity, missing out on yet another opportunity to realize a project that would guarantee the reputation of the politician who made it happen.
Hopefully, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will be the one to make the decision that will bring change for the better.
