The President of the Republic described today as historic Katerina Sakellaropoulouduring his speech for the 50th anniversary of Post-colonization, at the reception at the Presidential Palace.
“Today is a historic day. Fifty years after the return to Greece of Konstantinos Karamanlis and the restoration of democracythe memories remain alive. They fill us with emotion and gratitude to those who fought selflessly against the dictatorship. Who were tortured in an inhumane way, like Spyros MoustaklisAlekos Panagoulis, Sakis Karagiorgas. We pay tribute to all those, present and absent, who risked their youth, their freedom and their lives, for the good of us all”, stressed the PtD.
“We never forget our highest national debt, the ultimate justification of the Cypriot struggle”
“We also remember with pain the Cyprus issue, the greatest and open wound of Hellenism, five decades after the heinous Turkish invasion. Cyprus has gained its rightful place in Europe. However, it is still a semi-occupied country. We never forget our largest national debt, the ultimate justification of the Cypriot struggle, based on the decisions of the United Nations and the EU acquis,” Katerina Sakellaropoulou stressed in her speech.
“Today we celebrate the Post-colonial period, the most gentle and progressive period in our modern history. A political, social and cultural achievement of the Greeks. With the milestone of the universal enjoyment of democracy and the elimination of exclusions and discrimination. The State was resolved, the Communist Party was legalized, national resistance was recognized, certificates of social opinions were abolished. This may seem obvious now, but there were important steps towards a State of freedom and equality. The uncontested elections, the continuous change of parties in power and the stability of parliamentarism show the depth and resilience of our democratic institutions, even in difficult times for society and the political system.”
“Post-colonization is a period of intellectual elevation”
According to the PtD, “Post-colonization is a period of intellectual ascension. Censorship was succeeded by freedom of expression, by the spring of literature and the arts. Private life, morals and standards of behavior escaped the conservatism of the past. Education, previously a privilege of the few, became a common good and a belt of social mobility. The Greeks acquired more possibilities and enriched their activities, studied and traveled abroad”.
“Our history has been marked, like no other event, by joining the European Union and then the Eurozone. It has been fundamental in improving our standard of living, institutions, perceptions and way of life. The European and Greek identities are not distinguishable, they are inseparable. Our country has consolidated its presence within the Union, becoming a guarantor of security in the Eastern Mediterranean and the entire region. Greeks should be proud of what they have achieved. Post-colonial Greece has left behind the post-war backwardness. It is now a different Greece,” said Ms Sakellaropoulou.
“However, we have been through half a century of great trials and turmoil. We have experienced the successive crises of our time, with the financial one at the top. We have been confronted with external factors and correlations, but also with our own weaknesses and pathologies. We have witnessed tragic events, in Mati and Tempi, that have deeply hurt us. Postcolonial traumas call us to self-criticism, reflection and vigilance. They remind us of the importance of consensus and the general interest over petty politics and inaction for reasons of political cost. As well as our duty of zero tolerance for any form of political violence and questioning of the fundamental values of our culture. The quality of democracy is not a given, nor does history have a linear development. Especially in a transitory and changing world.”
“Multiple Challenges”
According to Katerina Sakellaropoulou, “the challenges are multiple and go beyond our national borders. Artificial intelligence is bringing revolutionary changes in many areas, such as health, work, education. At the same time, we are concerned about its distortions, the erosion of democracy and our personal sphere by fake news, the replacement of human resources by algorithms. The rigor, the reduction of purchasing power and the widening gap between the winners and losers of globalization dictate the need for regulations and public policies based on social justice and equal opportunities. We seek a better and more efficient State, friendly to its citizens, fair, with sustainable development. The climate crisis threatens us existentially. No procrastination is excused in dealing with it. International coordination and the cultivation of ecological awareness in all of us are necessary. In the issue of migration and refugees, border protection, a European issue, must be harmonized with respect for life and human value.”
“Tragedies like Pylos strike at the core of our culture”
“Tragedies like Pylos strike at the core of our civilization,” Katerina Sakellaropoulou stressed and continued “The armed conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza highlight the fragile geopolitical balances, as well as our responsibility to defend the basic principles that we, those who serve the harmonious coexistence between peoples, believe in. Liberal democracy finds itself at a critical crossroads and must reinvent and renew itself.
This evening, we are joined by figures from civil society, in whom we recognise post-colonialism, its successes, but also its wounds. I want to assure them that our gaze is not only on the past and on settling accounts. It is focused on the future of our State, on what is to come, on the fears and expectations of our people. We owe it to the Greeks and to the next generations, who will take on the responsibilities of our country, to continue these fifty years with dignity and even better results. Drawing strength from their democratic and liberal example and giving it new life, meaning and dynamism”, concluded the President of the Republic in her speech.