ATHENS – Despite government vows to crack down on unlawful development and Mafia activities on Mykonos following the murder of a civil engineer and the 2023 savage beating of an archaeologist, these promises have not been fulfilled, according to Mykonos Mayor Christos Veronis.

Unlawful construction continues unabated, despite state pledges to restore legality, reported Kathimerini. The newspaper noted that there have been no penalties or punishments for illegal building, with luxury spots increasingly taking over public beaches.

Mayor Veronis pointed to a “deadlock” between the municipality and the state over efforts to check development. From November 2023 through June 2024, 197 inspections for urban planning irregularities were conducted. Of those, the police notified the island’s planning department about 160 cases that should be halted or fined, but only four follow-ups occurred, allowing rampant illegal development to continue.

The urban planning office on the island was reestablished in May 2023 after the brutal beating of archaeologist Manos Psarros in Athens, an attack widely viewed as an attempt to intimidate those who would stand up to mob control.

In July of this year, civil engineer Panagiotis Stathis, 54—who also worked on the island, which is overwhelmed with tourists and the accompanying development—was shot dead in Athens. At the time, Kathimerini reported that Mykonos was increasingly falling under the control of the Greek underworld, prompting the New Democracy government to promise to restore order. However, the report indicates that little has been done.

In June, Veronis replaced the previous head of the planning department, who had resigned, and a team from the National Transparency Authority was dispatched to audit the department. This move followed a letter from Veronis to Deputy Interior Minister Theodore Livanios, in which Veronis complained that the planning department staff lacked training and experience.

“Despite the municipal authority’s unquestionable will to crack down on arbitrary construction, the situation has literally come to an impasse,” Veronis wrote, echoing a common theme in Greece where promises of crackdowns often fade away. He also noted that despite his orders, some department members were refusing to perform their duties. It was not clear why they were not fired or if intimidation or corruption was involved.

“There is a case of a property being built without a building permit. Due to the absence of checks, it is possible that the owner will soon complete the construction work,” an unnamed police source told Kathimerini.

Earlier, Supreme Court prosecutor Georgia Adeilini called for an investigation into alleged mob activities on the island, including reported intimidations. A special prosecutor was supposed to look into unlawful activities on Mykonos, where rival gangs are reportedly fighting for control of entertainment, clubs, catering, and property sales, as the island has become notorious for price gouging and tax evasion.

Stathis’ female partner reportedly testified that they had visited Mykonos twice in the months before his murder and that the suspect had allegedly met with a man involved in the real estate market, with whom Stathis had previously quarreled. Police are now examining Stathis’ activities on Mykonos, which he visited weekly, in an effort to uncover the motive behind his killing and to identify those responsible.