Meropi Ydraiou and Spyros Neratzis to work together!

Ms Ydraiou said it would be a programme of cooperation based on principles and not on exchanges or positions. "A New Beginning means focussing on what is important," she said. "Even though we have an absolute majority we will try to cooperate and collaborate with all the parties. This is how I see local government working."

Even with the Government's new legislation to ensure the governability of Municipalities, we will continue to make efforts to cooperate and collaborate.

We have taken the first step with the first meeting with party leaders - this will no longer be news but the normal way of doing things.

The new Mayor and the other party leaders will meet for discussions regularly and will work together to find the way to deal with our island's major problems which have nothing to do with party politics.

There is common ground and common action that can be taken. This is confirmed by our agreement with Spyros Neratzis which came from open and honest discussion.

This collaboration respects the independence of each party and is based on democratic principles and can be implemented in specific areas such as:

- A new waste management model which can be implemented immediately according to the Regional and Local management plan, with the construction of a waste management facility focussing on sorting at source, recycling, cleansing and regulations that will be implemented.
- The development of an online system to serve the needs of residents and to deal with everyday problems.
- Reinforcing the democratic functioning of the Municipality with wide-ranging cross-party discussion groups for major issues.
- Strengthening the Civil Protection Service with personnel, equipment and volunteers.
- Establishment of a body to manage tourism with long-term planning and sustainable tourism development.
- Municipal support for the establishment of a Home Port for cruise ships infrastructure to make Corfu more visitor-friendly.
- An integrated plan for Corfu Town historical centre, its neighbourhoods and other districts to deal with the problem of traffic.
- The promotion of Corfu's cultural resources as a comparative advantage for the Municipality."

Spyros Neratzis said that the agreement does not remove the independence of each political party. He also reiterated that it does not involve exchanges or official positions.

He said, "Today we confirmed our principles and our pre-election committments to the Local Authority in the areas mentioned above without conditions or demands. We would also like to make it known to Ms Ydraiou that our elected representatives and our members are available to take up official positions if she deems it necessary, without that being a precondition for our agreement. From today we need to pool our strengths to raise Corfu to what it should be and to what we dream of it as being."

Referring to this programme of cooperation, the incoming Mayor stressed that even with the Government's new legislation to ensure the governability of Municipalities, she will continue to make efforts to cooperate and collaborate with the other parties - in this way making clear the Municipality's new principles and concepts.

Spyros Neratzis told Enimerosi that the agreement with Ms Ydraiou does not remove anyone's right to vote as he or she sees fit on any matter to come to the Town Council. Regarding the rumours that he would be Deputy Mayor for Cleansing, he said, "There has been no official proposal from Ms Ydraiou".