While most local voters, as well as politicians, voice their concern over the mounting avalanche of illegally placed posters throughout our townships, it appears that the "party" responsible for the placement of most of them, perhaps in the tens of thousands throughout Greece with three or four to a pole, in the past month is now running the country.

However, the ruling party is not alone in this poster pollution rampage. The runner-up offenders are Nea Dimokratia and KKE.  One party, however, sees this illegal practice for what it is. Members of the Ecologist Greens have been pressing on with an initiative to remove political parties’ campaign posters from roadsides across the country.

The Eco Greens said that parties should limit the production and use of promotional posters. The party, which failed to garner the three percent minimum of votes to secure a presence in Parliament, ran its election campaign via the internet, radio and television, avoiding the use of promotional posters and leaflets.

As in most countries, the random placement of posters on public utility poles, and practically any other available space along the local roads, is illegal in our townships. However, township officials seem to turn a blind eye when political parties are the culprits, especially if the biggest offenders share the same political leanings as the officials.

When asked how he felt about his party's contribution to the poster pollution problem, PASOK MP Manolis Stratakis of Iraklion, said poster pollution is not only unsightly but also damaging to the parties and to the political system.

 "I do not know if and when the Government will implement a Legal Outline, however, personally I concur with such a development," he stated. "Moreover, I will support any initiative that will limit the wastefulness. It is necessary to get the real substance and content of the political potential and not just 'the appearance' that projects from a poster and for that, other ways must be explored."

In Alikarnassos, where the main commercial street was inundated with posters from all major parties, Mayor Vangelis Sisamakis made no comment when asked if his municipality would issue fines.  

However, in Gouves, which has been enforcing the poster ban, Municipal Police Officer Anna Magaraki said that throughout Gouves and Kokkini Hani they did not catch any PASOK posters, and Nea Dimokratia posters only appeared on billboards.

"However, there have been 28 KKE election posters noted," she said. "At six euros per poster, which is the fine decided by the municipal council, the fine for KKE amounts to 168 euros as their posters were posted throughout Gouves and Kokkini Hani on electric company poles and on traffic signal poles."

 

(Editor's note: During the campaign hundreds of PASOK posters littered Gouves and Kokkini Hani [see photo above with three PASOK posters on one pole in front of the Pancretan bank in Gouves,] but after the elections almost all were removed.)