In Athens we trust — Athens City Branding Strategy 2023–2030
In an weird post-pandemic era, with the signs of the economic crisis still evident in the fabric of society, the great challenge for the capital city of Athens is this: how can the citizens “reintroduce” themselves to the Municipality, its services, and its functions in order to increase the trust of the residents in the local government institution?
Taking a walk in summertime Athens, you will surely come across a cultural event organized by the Municipality in a colorful square or a cool park. In front of the stage, hundreds of people of all ages enjoy the spectacle and participate enthusiastically in the large gathering. Around them, usually in the darker areas, dozens of hesitant people stand, looking awkwardly at the logos on the stage and banners, asking whoever is in front of them who is performing, if there is an entrance fee, why it’s happening at that particular location on that specific day, with those particular artists.
It could be a typical, almost idyllic image of Athenian summer if it didn’t express a negative sentiment of society, which has been increasingly intense in recent years: the lack of trust from a significant portion of citizens towards the institution of Local Government, preventing them from feeling that everything related to the Municipality in which they live is their own concern.
In this context, the Report issued in 2016 by the Ombudsman of the Citizen is indicative, as it analyzes the extensive sense of suspicion that characterizes Greek citizens towards public services. This is only a small aspect of the widespread suspicion that characterizes Athenians towards all levels of governance. This sentiment is a result of long-term polarization of political life, mismanagement of resources, corruption, and clientelistic relationships. Unfortunately, it is widespread, diminishing the potential for innovation and opportunities for stable collaborative frameworks in the city.
Specifically for the Municipality of Athens, the issue of trust has been a significant concern in developing the Resilience Strategy of Athens for 2030 during George Kaminis’ tenure, which was largely followed by the subsequent municipal authority.
The related guide clearly stated that the citizens of Athens perceive the municipal council and city administration as something distant. Apart from the lack of a culture at the municipal level regarding evaluation, management and compliance with data and key performance indicators, there are very few communication channels both among the various administrative levels and between the Municipality of Athens and the citizens. The lack of trust was identified as one of the main issues that continue to hinder the city’s ability to progress the Athenian society. The immediate goal was to lay the foundations for a city open to its citizens, a city that would regain the trust of its inhabitants through open procedures, transparency and the establishment of communication channels with the society, in order to become resilient.
The crisis that turned into an opportunity
From the not-so-distant 2017 until today, the situation regarding the level of trust of citizens in local authorities seems to have significantly improved.
Although it may seem paradoxical, to a large extent, the shift in public opinion is due to the pandemic, an unprecedented situation that activated new mechanisms of social solidarity and accelerated the processes for the digitalization of the state.
The long-term restrictive measures to address the spread of COVID, as well as the mechanisms for protecting public health, maintaining social cohesion and boosting the economy, placed a burden on local government. Having the closest relationship with the citizens of local communities, being aware firsthand of the problems and specificities of local economies, but also as recipients of citizens’ requests and complaints in the front line, the Municipalities and Regions took on a significant part of citizens’ transactions — even under emergency conditions — through power mechanisms: the recording and management of epidemic cases by the Primary Health System, the distribution of healthcare materials and essential goods to vulnerable groups, the economic support packages for businesses that were suspended, as well as the responsibility for the smooth operation of most digital services provided by the gov.gr portal — these were the parameters for a “rekindling” of trust relationships with citizens.
This trend was clearly recorded in a survey conducted by the Opinion Poll company for the Panhellenic Union of General Secretaries of Local Government, “Kleisthenes,” in May 2022. In the survey, 57.2% of citizens believe that more responsibilities should be transferred from the central to the local government, with 84% considering that this transfer should be reinforced through special legislation. Furthermore, citizens’ trust in the administrative capacity of Municipalities and Regions is even higher, with 61% wanting greater financial autonomy for self-government and 82% desiring enhanced participation in the country’s productive reconstruction. Nevertheless, fewer than half of the citizens report being satisfied with the work of Mayors as political figures, while a similar percentage credits them with personal success in managing the pandemic.
This seemingly contradictory fact, however, reflects a reality: society’s demand for local authorities to engage in broader and more substantive communication with citizens in order to meet the high acceptance of the institution of local government. “It is important that while there seems to be moderate satisfaction with the performance and work of Mayors in recent years, there is a strong belief that initiatives at an institutional and economic level are necessary to upgrade their role for a new, dynamic developmental path for the country,” said Zacharias Zoupis, Director of Research at Opinion Poll.
And now, what should we do?
Interpreting these findings at a secondary level, it is more than evident that the Municipality of Athens is presented with a prime opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the initiatives proposed in the Resilience Strategy, capitalizing on the experience gained from the pandemic crisis and incorporating the new issues raised by citizens, in order to strengthen the level of trust.
This favourable conjunction is also highlighted by the conclusions of the Edelman Trust Barometer, which focuses on regaining the trust of citizens at the local level compared to the central government — especially among lower socioeconomic and educational groups, who have been more affected by government fiscal policies during the crisis. Restoring trust is even presented as the key condition for social stability, with the active participation of municipal authorities and healthy businesses as key partners in productive reconstruction, as they enjoy the highest rates of social acceptance.
Reversing the frame of distrust requires coordinated actions over time, a holistic strategic planning for urban resilience based on relationships of trust, and — most importantly — consistency between actions and words, especially concerning the accomplishments of each municipal authority in relation to their pre-election promises. In this regard, the conditions are ripe for the Municipality of Athens to adapt its resilience strategies, based on ethical decision-making, addressing specific questions that will serve as a guide for the policies of the Municipal Council: How much can an action decrease or increase the trust of citizens? To what extent is a decision worth taking if it has a negative impact on the sense of trust? Ultimately, how can every citizen feel welcome and involved in their city, without exclusions or exceptions?
The key term for restoring citizens’ trust with the Municipality is credibility, which can be structured on three pillars: the ability of municipal authorities to achieve their goals, humanity — with the common interest and social solidarity at the core of decision-making — as well as integrity, meaning the consistent implementation of the “social contract” without discounts or reversals.
Active citizens in a participatory city
But how do the citizens themselves view the efforts of the Municipality of Athens? How do they judge the effectiveness of the actions and what do they believe still needs to be done to restore trust and make them feel their city as a part — and indeed the most vibrant one — of their everyday lives?
“Athens is like a beast you are in love with,” says Fadi Haddad, a 50-year-old entrepreneur from Lebanon who chose Athens to build his life. He came to Greece for a vacation shortly before the pandemic and ended up “stranded” in Athens during the lockdown. However, he did not lose his courage; on the contrary, he saw the crisis as an opportunity. He opened a small café in Βrazilias Square, utilizing the valuable outdoor space which, throughout the restrictive measures, served as an “alibi” for brief moments of relaxation and socialization, under the pretext of take-away service.
Fadi believes that although the Municipality’s efforts to make the city resilient have largely achieved their goal, the personal relationship of each citizen with the Municipality remains lukewarm. “Government decisions are good for the economy, but they do not help us much,” says Fadi, adding, “we have high rents, municipal taxes, operational costs — especially for energy bills — and employer contribution. On the other hand, people are not the ones who help you progress — especially the wealthy ones are more cooperative and friendly. Nevertheless, Athens is an international metropolis, a functional chaos that manages to get by at the end of the day.”
George Evangelinos, a member of the municipal theatre “Olympia,” which hosts dance and music performances throughout the winter, identifies the same problems in daily life in the city. Based in the iconic building on Academias’ Street that housed Greece’s only opera for years, the theatre was revitalized in 2018 under the ownership of the Municipality of Athens and now presents more than 20 high-level productions annually.
For George, the theatre was treated as just another service of the Municipality, with many employees being transferred to other departments, leaving it understaffed. “There is a need for financial support for the organization and academic training for the existing staff. The cultural content produced by the theatre is a catalyst for the development of Athens’ downtown,” emphasizes George. What else needs to be done? “Certainly, more collaborations with similar cultural organizations, such as Technopolis, in programs that promote inclusion and accessibility, within a structured policy of external relations and co-creation by the Municipality.”
But how can the process of implementing all the necessary actions that will bring the trust of the citizens to high levels be coordinated and accelerated? The opportunities created by digital transition are the main pillar, emphasizes the distinguished Strategic and Communication Advisor Sotiris Papadimitriou. “The world is changing. The consequences of the pandemic, the major geopolitical changes taking place, the war in Ukraine, and the inflationary pressures it exerts worldwide create uncertainty among citizens. In this environment, which also affects Greece, trust becomes a sought-after asset. Trust between the administration and the citizens. Therefore, we all need to focus our attention on how we can make the citizens feel that someone listens to them, understands their problems, and tries to solve them.”
A privileged, in his opinion, field for local government at both levels: “Municipalities are at the forefront of this effort. They have many advantages at their disposal. They are the institution closest to society. Furthermore, the ongoing digital transformation enables them to become more useful, more direct, more efficient, and of higher quality in terms of the services they provide. Meanwhile, new technologies can contribute, through open consultation platforms, to greater citizen participation in the shaping and implementation of policies that concern them. The great challenge for the country’s political personnel regarding self-government is for citizens to feel that something is changing around them, so that they can trust the State and the Municipalities again, in order to live better, safer, and happier lives,” underlines the well-known communication expert.
The signs indicate that civil society is more ready than ever to reach out to local authorities in order to upgrade trust in their relationships. Now, more than ever before, is the time for a city branding strategy oriented towards that major affair for local communities.
Our team gathered these information and decided to create that strategy based on four pillars — vital for a trustworthy city: Open Data, Innovation and Technology, Life Quality and Crisis Management.
Embark with us to the journey of helping Athens restore the trust of its residents.
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Argyro Ananiadou | Kiara Papadaki | Natasha Tsaropoulos | Tsolias Panagiotis
