Bakoyannis at Monocle – “Athens has been reborn, despite the difficulties”

At the beginning of this year’s “Quality of Life” conference of Monocle, the mayor of Athens Costas Bakoyiannis spoke with the editor-in-chief of the media Tyler Brûlé and the editor-in-chief of the printed magazine Andrew Tuck about the prospects of Athens, which in the context of the event international audience “as the city of opportunities”, as it is titled in today’s editorial of the magazine.

“Athens has been reborn, despite the difficulties. It is a resilient city, with 129 neighborhoods, with quality of life, with a sense of belonging and with hope, and we consider this to be very important, especially in these times. People want to feel comfortable, they want to feel safe,” said Mr. Bakoyannis, describing some of the assets that put Athens at the center of international interest.

“If you walk in the city, you will quickly find that it is not just the Acropolis. We are as proud of our majestic heritage as we are of the modern soul of Athens. It is a vibrant, dynamic metropolis and we are extremely proud of its young people, who went through the financial crisis, are still here, struggling, working hard and dreaming of a better city,” noted Mr. Bakoyannis in front of about 130 participants from all over the world.

The two Monocle journalists reminded that the quality of life is connected with the moments of fun and relaxation that a city can offer and that Athens is equally known for that. Defending Mr. Bakoyannis, he stated that indeed “this is the unique DNA of Athens”, that is, to work hard but also to have as much fun. To be able to let the music play, to be able to sit outside, to enjoy the weather.”

The conference, which lasts until September 25 in the form of presentations and guided tours in the city, is attended by professionals from journalism, entrepreneurship, fashion, architecture, arts.