[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1021-E1022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    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

[[Page E1022]]

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.

                          ____________________