Greek MP Christina Starka criticises new local government code and eulogises community leader Maria Tsoutsou

Member of Parliament Christina Starka of the PASOK – Movement for Change addressed the Greek parliament on two separate occasions. In a tribute to the late Maria Tsoutsou, founder and honorary president of the “Panagia Eleousa” laboratory, Starka highlighted Tsoutsou’s decades‑long work supporting people with disabilities and praised her as a figure who left a lasting social legacy in the Aitolo‑Acarnania region.

Starka also launched a sharp criticism of the New Code of Local Self‑Governance introduced by the New Democracy government. She described the code as a manifestation of governmental centralisation, accusing it of stripping municipalities of resources, imposing new duties without staff or funding, and threatening cuts to essential social services. She warned that the reforms could undermine local democracy and the livelihood of rural communities.