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2 clusters · 3 sources · 25 days · First seen · Last updated

Larissa municipal procurement and spending controversies

Overview

The Larissa municipal council has faced scrutiny regarding procurement processes and rising costs for public works.

In early August, the Audit Court commissioner refused to approve a €950,000 tender for playground upgrades. The refusal was based on an illegal requirement that safety-floor contracts be submitted exclusively by public entities, which limited competition and resulted in only one acceptable bid. Local officials criticized the error as a “copy-paste” mistake.

By late August, opposition from the Symparataxi Larisaon group shifted toward a new €7.5 million tender for green space maintenance. Critics highlighted a significant increase in projected annual costs, which rose from approximately €1.16 million in 2021 to €2.43 million in 2026. Additionally, opposition members questioned the necessity of the expenditure given that technical specifications described existing areas as having “downgraded green spaces” and “destroyed lawns,” despite recent municipal spending on current contracts.

Entities

Symparataxi Larisaon · Panagiotis Datis · Larissa Municipality · Audit Court of Greece · Larissa

Timeline

  1. 24 days ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Larissa green space tender faces opposition over 7.5 million euro cost

    The Symparataxi Larisaon group has rejected terms for a 7.5 million euro green space maintenance tender in Larissa, citing rising costs and poor results from previous contracts.

  2. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Larissa municipality playground upgrade tender faces criticism over illegal terms

    Larissa’s €950k playground upgrade tender was flagged as illegal by the Audit Court, leaving only one bid and a 0.5% discount; councilor Panagiotis Datis criticised the mayor’s handling.

Sources

larisanew.gr · larissanet.gr · larissapress.gr