This Sunday local elections for mayor and council members, provincial and European elections are taking place.
It is a privilege to vote for a mayor and council members on this magical island but the last few years I am confused about where we are heading. The tourist business is a big source of income for the island but I think we should also look at the island itself and protect it better for now and in the future.
As foreigners on this island we can vote for the local and provincial elections.
This year the elections for the local council are different from the last time. The last time the mayor usually had the majority in the council with his council members. This time there is a possibility that there will be no majority and all council members have to negotiate and work together to get things done. It all depends on the amount of votes every candidate council member receives from all three candidates.
I have looked at the three programs and they all promise a lot. I hope the new mayor and candidates will take a good look at how we can protect Skopelos better against dumping of waste, fire and water hazards. The recycling and re-using of materials should be supported by everyone. I also believe that Skopelos needs to acquire an identity known to everybody and we need the events and structure set up with it. The cultural and ecological identity is here on the island but nobody is doing anything with it. It is not used, nothing is organized.
I also would like the municipality to communicate better with its inhabitants and to structure various tasks better.
My advise to those who vote is to try and find the candidates that you know and ask them about what they are thinking of doing for Skopelos. On the basis of that you might find your candidates to vote for. You can choose three on one and the same list. You put a + in front of their name.
Foreigners who have registered to vote (the deadline to sign up has passed) can go on Sunday the 26th of May (and maybe again the next Sunday to give a deciding vote for which mayor is going to be elected) with their passport or identity card to the:
-Elementary school Skopelos (the old building) to room 373 A and B
-Gymnasium high school in Glossa to room 367 A and B and
-Elementary school in Elios to room 371 A and B
Skopelos all together with Dimitri Efstathiou candidate mayor
Link to their Facebook page: Skopelos all together
The program (in Greek):here
The candidates general council members, local council members for Skopelos and Glossa: here
Our island first with Stamatis Perisis candidate mayor
Link to their Facebook page: Our island first
The program (in Greek):
here
List of candidates: general council members island here
Local council members skopelos here
Rally for the people with George Anagnostou candidate mayor
(the candidate women)
The program (in Greek): here
At the end of this article you will find the candidates here
I know there is an independent group of people in Elios that can be chosen for local council members. Please ask in Elios for more information. I wasn’t able to find the info again.
skopelosnews 
Thanks for this, Daphne. I agree there is too much focus on tourism and not enough on the conservation and protection of this lovely island for its inhabitants. The town of Skopelos is looking tatty. There is rubbish lying around, the pavements are grubby, some of the town roads are in a poor condition (so many bad potholes), the metal fence along the busy beach road is still unpainted after a couple of years, the main beach in the town needs some thalassemia centra planted along it (as in the very attractive town beach of Serifos and many others), the cafenion area opposite the entrance to the harbor looks scruffy and run down. I cannot see the point on focusing on tourism when the very place they are being encouraged to visit looks uninviting. Skopelos town needs a mayoral committee with imagination and dedication.
well the reason is tourism is about 90% of the income of the island . without which the majority of the population would not be able to live here. tourism doesn’t make the island uninviting. lack of organisation does.in the same way theres lots of water on the island but not enough pipes to take it where its needed.