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RECOGNITION OF KOSTAS BAKOYANNIS
______
HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis for his long career of public service to the citizens of the Hellenic Republic, notably, as the current Mayor of Athens. He previously served as the Governor of Central Greece, worked at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and held positions in the European Parliament in Brussels and the World Bank in Kosovo. He has served as the vice president of the Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government. In his 2019 mayoral campaign, he visited 129 neighborhoods across Athens to become the capital's youngest mayor with the widest margin of victory ever. His commitment to his constituents is inspiring.
Born in Athens on 16 March 1978 to New Democracy politicians Dora, who was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Athens, and Pavlas Bakoyanniss. He studied history and international relations at Brown University, graduated from Harvard University with a Master of Public Administration, and received his Ph.D. from St Antony's College, Oxford focusing on disruptions, identity politics, and foreign policy in post-
Cold War Greece.
His love for his hometown of Karpenis inspired him to run for local office. His deep empathy aided him in the first mayoral election, winning overwhelmingly. He served as the mayor of his hometown for three years. His positive impact on Karpenis were critical to his subsequent elections as regional governor and Mayor of Athens. His dedication to his citizens continues to this day in solving the pressing issues facing Athenians.
As Mayor of Athens, the first thing he did early in the morning was go where the sanitation workers gathered and started their rounds to show the importance and the value they have on the community. As he described it, ``Being in local government means having to work from the bottom up. At the end of the day, it's about solving the problem, not talking about or to the problem.''
Mayor Bakoyannis is striving to make Athens greener and more sustainable by closing parts of city centers for cars to reclaim public spaces, creating more parks for the residents. In doing this, he is also protecting the archaeological sites of Athens, which makes up some of the richest cultural heritage of the Greek people and indeed humanity. To reduce emissions in the city, he initiated a project to narrow the car lanes in one of the largest avenues. He is dedicated to protecting Athenians from extreme heat and addressing the causes of climate change.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis for his dedication and service to the great people and especially the residents of Athens.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 160(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 160(2)
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