According to popular usage the seven-year itch refers to happiness in a marriage or long-term romantic relationship which declines after around seven years.
Seven years ago, on June 12th 2017, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake to the south east of Lesvos sent people running from their houses and, due to particular geological fault-lines and substrata the effects of the earthquake were felt especially in the area of Vrissa, One woman was killed, other people were injured and hundreds of houses were rendered unsuitable for habitation.
Seven years later, there is still much to do.
The initial response to the eartyhquake and the damage it caused was quite rapid. Buildings were inspected and characterised as “red”, “ yellow” or “green”, i.e. beyond repair and to be demolished, damaged but reparable, or undamaged and therefore habitable. The compensation that would be provided by the state was outlined and the procedures that needed to be taken by the owners to repair or rebuild their houses were described. Measures were also described to cover the expenses of those without a permanent residence and who were forced to rent alternative accommodation until they could return to their houses.
In the meantime the village as a whole was considered too dangerous for normal activity and whoever entered it did so at their own risk. No normal commercial enterprise could be established. No shop or cafeneio could operate and those who stayed in the village relied for their supplies on a supermarket just outside the village or passing sellers of fish, vegetables, bread, clothes etc.
The promises of the authorities for a rapid return to normality were succeeded by the realities of the workings of a bureaucracy ill-designed for rapid results. The shortage of personnel, the fragile state of the Greek economy, other subsequent natural disasters, many of which were indeed more serious than that in Lesvos in terms of loss of life, are just some of the factors which needed to be dealt with but which, on the face of it, could probably be resolved in a steady logical fashion even if not as fast as some would like. On the other hand, inefficient internal procedures involving referments between multiple departments and multiple ministries at a national level, the various levels of local government, and the political priorities which change with each national of local election probably play a more decisive role in how quickly results will be achieved, if at all.
Now, seven years after the earthquake, the village is still officially “dangerous”. There are still buildings needing immediate attention before this status will change and it seems that the buck is being passed from one authority to another with nobody willing to take responsibility.
And why should they? What is Vrissa after all? A village with just a few hundred permanent residents, just a few hundred votes. Vrissa was not the first village to go through this “adventure” and it seems likely that there will be many more Vrissas. And then it will be too late.