In an interview for the special edition of Naftemporiki, Apostolos Tzitzikostas revealed the four main axes of the Region of Central Macedonia’s plan for the new National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), while he also gave a brief overview of his previous office term. Mr Tzitzikostas further mentioned that the European Office of the Region of Central Macedonia in Brussels has already attracted the interest of major international organisations for launching joint actions and collaborations. The aim is for the Office to ultimately also serve as an extroversion hub for local bodies, chambers and businesses. He also revealed the initiatives of the Region of Central Macedonia to reduce red tape and support entrepreneurship, while he reiterated that he will launch a major international campaign that will showcase the uniqueness and Greek character of Macedonia.

Given that adequate time has passed from the elections and your triumphant re-election, could you tell us what you believe was the single most significant achievement of your administration that the citizens of Central Macedonia rewarded? What do you consider was the greatest shortfall you will ensure will not be repeated during the new office term? I could list a series of projects, such as the road network with the new K16 interchange at the Western Entrance to Thessaloniki and the modern highway on the first leg of Chalkidiki. In terms of culture, there is the new Museum of Vergina. As for education, there were 54 interventions in school complexes and 18 new schools. The flood control works safeguard 19 cities and towns, the sewer network serves the needs of 62,000 fellow citizens and there were also the potable water quality and quantity assurance projects. However, I would like to focus on our efforts for the people because this is the most important during the crisis period we experienced and fought against, managing to keep our society on solid footing. Our most significant initiatives are: the state-of-the-art operating rooms in Ahepa Hospital; the new wing at Edessa Hospital; the equipment upgrades at Komotini Hospital; the extension of Verria Hospital; the two PET/CT scanners installed at Papageorgiou Hospital and Theageneio Hospital, which put an end to the hassles of our fellow citizens; the dorms and open day centres for our homeless fellow citizens; the adult daycare centres for our elderly fellow citizens; the 7 hostels for abused women; the food, basic necessities, psychological and social support offered to 60,000 destitute families; the 351 school integration courses and special schools for students with special needs we equipped; the 14,500 places we secured in preschools for children of low-income families; and the 450 places we secured in children’s daycare centres for children with special needs. Naturally, there were mistakes, omissions and delays, but we are setting our sights in the future, correcting our course, so as to meet our goal of building a truly modern and humane
Region, with jobs, opportunities and prospects for all our fellow citizens.

Following the continuous first place rankings for your Region in absorbing the NSRF funds, what are your goals for the new programming period (2021-2027)? What are the three most important projects you will be including in the new NSRF? We have already shaped the main axes for the upcoming programming period.

• The first axis is the Central Macedonia of Innovation, New Technologies and Research by offering faster and more efficient services to citizens and businesses, and taking advantage of digitalisation and online transfer of documents and requests; linking research to entrepreneurship and attracting new investments; capitalising on funds amounting to -130 million to make local businesses more competitive, innovative and extrovert.
• The second axis is Central Macedonia of Employment and Education by supporting startups and SMEs, promoting agricultural entrepreneurship and getting SMEs more involved in Information and Communications Technology; providing incentives for sustainable revival of deindustrialised areas in urban centres of Central Macedonia and in Industrial Zones; drawing up comprehensive development plans for deprived neighbourhoods, aiming to promote social economy.  
• The third axis is Central Macedonia of Actions for Solidarity and the Environment by ensuring the equal access of all citizens to healthcare through developing infrastructures, including
• primary healthcare; promoting the social inclusion of people on the verge of poverty or social segregation; promoting the extension of natural gas networks and their use in major cities of Central Macedonia; increasing the energy autonomy of public and private buildings, as well as SME facilities; fostering the shift to cycling economy and bioeconomy by replacing the Region of Central Macedonia fleet with electric vehicles and building charging stations.
• The fourth axis is Central Macedonia of Modern Infrastructures by completing and improving the regional road network, where we are already carrying out interventions along thousands of kilometres; updating the existing railway network and its interconnections with international networks as well as the Thessaloniki Port by using European funds; supporting sustainable urban mobility in Thessaloniki and the major regional urban centres; investing in broadband infrastructures.

Apart from the NSRF programmes, what else are you going to do to assist entrepreneurship in Central Macedonia? We have already prepared a series of strategies and actions to assist and support entrepreneurship. We have established the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Directorate, the first public sector one-stop shop for investment plans and investments. We have also established a Department for the Promotion of Agricultural Products and Agro-Food Connection, promoting in a combined and complementary manner tourism and the products of Central Macedonia. We host local businesses in our booth at all the tourism and agricultural expos around the world, facilitating B2B meetings, boosting exports and fostering international partnerships. We are also reducing the times needed to serve businesses by taking advantage of the new technologies and instituting eservices, ultimately aiming to completely abolish counters. We also delivered a decisive blow to red tape, abolishing state signatures in 85% of administrative processes carried out by the offices of the Region of Central Macedonia. Finally, by expanding, upgrading and updating our infrastructure network, we created even better conditions for boosting entrepreneurship in the export, transport, commerce, tourism and primary sectors. In other words, through specific and tangible actions, projects and initiatives, Central Macedonia is becoming the friendliest region of the country in terms of entrepreneurship and investments.

What have been the initial results from the operation of the Region of Central Macedonia Office in Brussels? What are your expectations for the future? We have already attracted the interest of major international organisations, which have approached us to launch joint actions and collaborations. We would like for the European Office of the Region of Central Macedonia in Brussels to serve as a hub for the bodies, chambers and businesses of Central Macedonia. In the last few years, Central Macedonia has had a steady presence and a powerful voice in the decision-making centres of the European Union. By unanimous decision of the European Parliament and the European Commission, it was awarded as “European Entrepreneurial Region”. It currently holds the position of Vice President in the EU Committee of the Regions, i.e. the European Local Authorities Parliament. We are continuing with the same planning and hard work so that Central Macedonia may remain a steady power everyone can rely on and have a powerful voice in Brussels, the “heart of Europe”

The country does not have the luxury of time

The discussions became heated, first and foremost by your political party, during the Prespa Agreement. Quite a few people accused you of “risk-free pre-electoral populism”. What are you going to do to refute them? Do you believe that the consequences of the Agreement may be mitigated and what actions have you planned to this end? You asked me what I am going to do to refute them; however, unfortunately for our country, the reality has already refuted them. Even though the ink of the signature on the Agreement had not dried yet, our national and economic nightmares came to life. We first heard reports about alleged “repressed Macedonian minorities” and “Macedonian language tutoring schools”. Then, at the Tourism Expo in Berlin, Skopje made an appearance with a Macedonia booth. The Wine Expo followed, where they presented alleged “Macedonian wines with centuries-old history”. So those who were disapprovingly pointing the finger at those who opposed this nationally detrimental Agreement now have all the time in the world to ponder their mistakes from the opposition benches. Unfortunately, however, the country does not have the luxury of time because we must immediately avert and correct the problems this Agreement has brought about. The Region of Central Macedonia is already working with the chambers and the bodies for the names of our local businesses and products. Meanwhile, we are steadily continuing to promote the tourism, history, culture and products of Macedonia in more than 70 expos around the world. And, of course, we are prepared to work closely with the new government on a major international campaign that will showcase the uniqueness and history of Macedonia