Andreas G. Papandreou

“The overall work of this departed public figure, as a professor as well as a politician, has been versatile and impressive; truly the work of a leader and history, unbiased, will fairly judge him.”

“I salute the memory of the leader whom I’ve met with many times and who governed Greece with determination for over 10 years. I pay tribute to his European commitment. Today, Greece lost one of its greatest”.

“A heavy loss has befallen Greece. A political leader who did many things for the welfare and prosperity of his country, contributed to strengthen the peace effort, public safety and cooperation in Europe as well as the development of mutual feelings of sympathy between our two people, has departed from this life”.

“Andreas Papandreou will continue to exist vividly in our thoughts and hearts”.

“Greece is deprived of the service of a distinguished politician who served the Greek nation and in addition, through the United Defense Dogma gave tangible examples of the government’s and the nation’s decisiveness in defending Cypriot freedom”.

“His gift to lead is not denied even by those who question his work. With his efforts he put the stamp of his forceful personality on a long period of our national history”.

“He embodied the expectations and manifested the dreams of an entire world; the world of the persecuted by contemptible policies of discrimination and exclusion and generally, the world of the underprivileged Greeks”.

“A great leader totally committed to the democratic principles”.

“We will remember the many remarkable achievements of Andreas Papandreou; his opposition to the dictatorship, the foundation of PASOK and the victories on the 1981, 1985 and 1993 elections, the reforms these administrations established especially in the areas of welfare, health care and women’s rights and his support toward close cooperation in Europe. And we will remember the exceptional courage Mr. Papandreou displayed in his battle against disease, in the last years of his life”.

“A. Papandreou, surrounded by the Greek people, fought against the Greek dictatorship. He battled for the restoration of democracy in Greece. He founded a new party, PASOK, which won a great victory in ’81. And for 8 years he governed with vigor in the name of change and national independence. So, the Greeks saw him as one of those invincible modern heroes, perceptive and inspired, who was able to overcome the contradictions of his country and his own. Constantly placing luck on his side, he gave a new destiny to his country, consolidating its accession to the unified Europe and ensuring the revival of a proud, democratic and modern Greece”.

“With the death of Andreas Papandreou, one of the greatest personalities of the postwar era departs from international politics. As President of PASOK and Prime Minister he affected modern Greece like no other. His life was marked by the struggle for a democratic and independent Greece. His struggle against the dictatorship of Metaxas as well as his resistance against the junta is admirable. He was sent to prison and banished due to his struggle for democratic and socialist ideals. Through PAK and PASOK he led the socialist and social democratic movements of Greece. His contribution to the establishment of democracy in Greece was equally immense. Andreas Papandreou was a public figure who did many things for his country and his people in the European Union and NATO. SPD will revere and remember him”.

“His long presence in politics, which culminated in the foundation of PASOK and his repeated ascent to power, influenced life in this country in essence. The assessment of this presence is a task befitting a future historian”. Addressing the national conference of the N.D. later on, he added: “We owe the present form of organization in political parties to him. And this we are obliged to fearlessly acknowledge. He came close to the people; he had the ability to communicate to the people, as well as the citizen. He truly had an immense talent for politics”.

He bid his farewell to “the reformer of democratic socialism in Greece, who imported modernization to his country. Andreas Papandreou’s work coincides with the reconstruction of the Greek republic following the dictatorship of the colonels. His charisma, the force of his actions, his strong and unrelenting resolve, allowed him to transform obstacles into potential for the long-term acquisition of power by the socialist party and the stabilization of democracy in Greece. I cannot forget his irrefutable friendship with François Mitterrand or his selection of Melina Mercouri for the Ministry of Culture, with eminent results. Even if his methods of governance met resistance, he remains a symbol of the rebirth of a Greece proud of itself and open towards the other nations in this world”.

“A symbol of democracy, peace and liberty and a strong supporter of the struggle of the Kurdish people”.

“From the great personality of A. Papandreou the socialists would like primarily to hold to memory the image of the man who struggled for long against the dictatorship and whose activity was a determining factor of the stabilization of democracy and thus facilitated the incorporation of the pacified Greece into the European Union. In a country still scarred by the terrible memories of civil war, the victory of his party, PASOK, contributed to the establishment of political succession and the legalization of progressive forces in political life. With the democratization, the repatriation of exiles, the interest on the underprivileged, the attention he gave to the intellectuals, he reconciled the Greek nation. An unrelenting patriot and a realist leader, he had been a key man for the modernization of his country…”.