Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivered a speech on Thursday evening (17/09) at the inauguration ceremony of The Ellinikon Sports Park, stressing that “Ellinikon belongs to all citizens,” while noting that the project being handed over today represents just one of the many facets of the vision for Attica over the coming decades.
Mitsotakis: Ellinikon is already taking on a new form
The Prime Minister opened his remarks by saying: “Driving along the coastal road, Ellinikon is already taking on a new form, and even the most skeptical can now see that what is being created here is not a ‘gated city’ for the few — as some had rushed to predict — but an open and welcoming destination for all citizens,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated.
He noted that the new sports park marks only the beginning of a broader effort, as Lamda Development has undertaken the upgrading of sports grounds and athletic facilities across the entire Athens basin. He also referred to the wider national effort to strengthen sports infrastructure, including projects such as the renovation of the OAKA Olympic Athletic Center and the upgrade of the Peace and Friendship Stadium, through an extensive program mobilizing both national and European funding.
“Investing in sports is a profound social investment”
The Prime Minister emphasized that the government’s goal is to make physical activity part of everyday life for the many — especially children and teenagers. He stated that sport is the ideal antidote to excessive screen time, offering opportunities to build friendships, socialize, and foster a spirit of healthy competition.
“Investing in sports is a profound social investment,” he stressed, adding that the project being delivered today captures just one of the many dimensions of the vision for Attica in the decades ahead. He referred to the expansion of the Ellinikon Metropolitan Park, the major redevelopment of Faliro Bay, and the AENAON project, which will add new green spaces and recreational areas, allowing the city to reconnect with the sea.
Interventions that are transforming the image and function of major urban centers
He also spoke about the regeneration of Tatoi as a significant cultural destination in the north of Athens, the Dipli Anaplasi urban renewal project in the city center, the Pavlos Melas Park in Thessaloniki, and the upcoming redevelopment of the Thessaloniki International Fair grounds — underscoring that these are interventions that are fundamentally transforming the image and function of Greece’s major urban centers.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis described this effort as a significant, far-reaching, and well-designed policy aimed at improving quality of life in Greek cities. He said these are large-scale projects that go beyond words, evolving into catalysts for growth and tangible proof of the country’s progress.
In closing, he underlined that delivering such projects requires three essential intangible assets: stability, continuity, and consistency. “We draw strength from every promise we keep,” he said characteristically, noting that the government believed in the Ellinikon project even when the obstacles seemed insurmountable. He called today a particularly significant day, stressing that the project belongs to the thousands of citizens who will use and enjoy it, and congratulated everyone who contributed to making it a reality.
See images from the inauguration:
