“The 24th of July is a milestone for democracy,” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in his message for the 42nd anniversary of the post-Junta period and called on all political and social forces to a broad, open and fruitful dialogue on constitutional reform.
“A new Constitution that will mark the new post-Junta period and will lead to a new Greece: the Greece of 2021,” he said.
In particular, the prime minister pointed out in his message that “the anniversary of the new regime is first of all a day of honour and respect to all those who resisted the dictatorship: the thousands of political prisoners in the seven year period of 1967-1974, to all who in any way and any means defended democracy and freedom in our country and, of course, first and foremost, to the heroes who gave their lives in the struggle for democracy, popular sovereignty and social justice in our country.”
He also stressed that “our historical duty towards these people is the constant expansion and consolidation of democracy in our country” adding that the “democratic institutions and constitutional freedoms are priceless and we have to respect them and protect them.”
Moreover, Tsipras stated that “today, 42 years since the dictatorship of 1974, an entire historical cycle is completed” and that “entering a path of development and social justice, Greece is now on the threshold of a new era.“
He added that “the characteristics of this era should be the expansion of democracy, strengthening of the people’s view in making important decisions, shielding the transparency and the rule of law, constitutional recognition of fundamental rights, especially for the weakest.”
Mitsotakis: “Democracy requires seriousness, credibility and truth”
The President of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis argued that “the transition from the collapsing military dictatorship to a Democracy – model for that time – was a real feat” in his message for the 42nd anniversary of the restoration of Democracy in Greece.
“It took political courage, credibility and seriousness of a leader, Konstantinos Karamanlis, and the political maturity of the people to achieve this transition smoothly” the main opposition leader stressed.
According to the New Democracy leader there must be three characteristics in our Democracy – seriousness, credibility and truth. Mr. Mitsotakis noted that Greece needs a leadership that goes beyond petty interests, opportunism and populism.
“Nowadays the opposite applies; instead of big decisions of truth, based on the national interest, we have policies of deception and party interests that lead nowhere” he explained and further elaborated that “they do not solve problems, they create more problems”.
Mr. Mitsotakis concluded that “they do not offer perspective, they lack perspective. These old ways of governance should end once and for all. This is considered necessary for Greece’s restart. It is fundamental for a substantive and not a pretext national consensus, as the majority of our people wants”.
Sources: ANA-MPA, tovima.gr
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