Syriza's crusade against Canadian-owned gold mine puts thousands of jobs at risk in Greece
'It's Aristotle's homeland, it doesn't need a mine to flourish', claims left-wing MP
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Greece’s radical-left government has promised to roll back privatisation of state assets. Now thousands of jobs are under threat by Athens’ crusade against a Canadian-owned gold mine.
Panagiotis Lafazanis, the environment and energy minister, has vowed to stop the expansion of the Skouries mine – one of the biggest foreign investments in Greece since the crisis.
Vancouver-based Eldorado Gold has invested more than €350m (£259m) in the mine in the peninsula of Halkidiki in northern Greece. About 2,000 people work there, with Eldorado Gold saying they will hire another 1,000 this year. But Mr Lafazanis said this week that he would try to halt the project.
The Skouries saga is a long-standing one. Campaigning against gold mine extensions has persisted for years, but it was not until the Canadian firm took over from Hellas Gold in 2012 that restless protesting began. Local communities fear that new technology used at the mine is bad for people’s health and the land.
The miners now feel they are caught in an unjust war between Athens and foreign investors. Giorgos Hatzis, 33, who acts as head of the area’s mine workers’ union, said: “All we want to do is provide for our families. There’s nothing about the investment that’s illegal or harmful, and the contribution to the economy is immense.”
But Lola Xrysuli, 38, said: “I have been out of work for years and I understand the miners’ fears. But they have to realise that until those mines shut down there’s no future here for anyone.”
Syriza MP, Katerina Igletzi, said: “The government has stressed it opposes the investment, but will do everything to secure jobs. Halkidiki is a unique place with true natural beauty. It’s Aristotle’s homeland, it doesn’t need a mine to flourish.”
Eduardo Moura, Eldorado Gold’s vice-president for Greece, said that the mine enjoys “strong support from local communities and labour unions”. He added: “We are disappointed with the minister’s statement, but, for the time being, it is business as usual”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments