Greece’s Minister of State, Akis Skertsos, has praised the Prime Minister’s recent decision to assign the Ministry of National Defense exclusive responsibility for protecting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, emphasizing the monument’s national and symbolic significance.
In a Facebook post, Skertsos explained that the tomb had never been officially declared a historic protected site, leaving its legal safeguards incomplete. Additionally, overlapping responsibilities among the Hellenic Parliament, the Presidential Guard, the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Athens, and the Hellenic Police often created decision-making gaps, leaving the monument vulnerable.
Skertsos highlighted three key points: first, the lack of formal designation prevented full legal protection; second, multiple agencies were previously responsible, leading to confusion and inactivity; third, the area directly in front of the tomb covers approximately 4,500 square meters, while Syntagma Square and surrounding axes extend over 25,000 square meters.
The Prime Minister’s decision achieves the following:
- Centralizes all protective responsibilities under the Ministry of Defense, eliminating administrative inertia.
- Officially designates the tomb as a site of “absolute protection and respect.”
- Defines the protected area as the tomb itself and the 4,500-square-meter area in front, while preserving the right to peaceful assembly in the remaining parts of Syntagma Square, which are five times larger.
- Maintains Hellenic Police authority over public order and security measures.
Skertsos emphasized that the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier belongs to all Greeks as a symbol of national memory and unity, and urged that it remain outside daily political conflicts that create artificial divisions and undermine collective memory.
The decision comes amid growing public attention to cultural heritage and the protection of historic monuments, highlighting the importance of clear rules and centralized authority to safeguard a site of national significance.
