Unfortunately there would be no celebrations this year to mark the restoration of democracy – due to the economic crisis. The office of Greek President Karolos Papoulias announced on Monday that there will be no celebrations this year to mark the 38th anniversary of the fall of the military dictatorship in 1974.
«The event for the anniversary of the restoration of democracy will not take place this year,» the president’s office announced on Monday. «This is dictated by the suffering of the Greek people.»
Instead, Papoulias said that the anniversary should be seen as an opportunity for «contemplation.»
«The honor that is bestowed upon to those who fought against the dictatorship will be reflected in contemplation instead, that could also seek to give a new meaning in the celebration, » the announcement said.
The restoration of democracy is celebrated on July 24th. At the Presidential Mansion, the President hosts the political and military leadership of the country as well as 1,200 guests, some 700 of whom participated in the resistance movement during the junta years.
Last year and for the same economic reasons, the celebration was held with a limited number of participants in the morning – and not in the evening as in previous years, where especially wives of politicians used the chance for glamorous appearances. Madame’s X or Y stylish choices were talk of the town for many days, and fed with enough material all life-style magazines on Greek TV.
Last year, invited were only those to be honoured and representatives form the Greek politics, and yet without the company of their families and children. Only light beverages were served as alcoholic drinks had a much higher tax.
However in salvation year 2012, where even soft drinks are charged with a 23%-Value-Added-Tax, the President would be allowed to offer only tab water to his guests from Greece’s political and resistance world.
A wise decision…
PS On the other hand, what kind of “restoration of democracy” the President would celebrate when the Troika will officially start the evaluation on the Greek progress on July 24th 2012 and depending on the results the next bailout tranche will be given or not.
Sniff… sniff… arono but most of ALL I shall surely miss the July 24, 2008 celebration, with the offering of orange juice drinks only (thanks to the “Presidential Austerity Measures” taken long before the BIG crisis), and the … “Grand Royal Entrance” of Alexis Tsipras with his beautiful African escort Ms. Kantitsa Sanko, now happily living in London, married with 2 (?) kids, while it was the 3rd day Rhodes was fighting its wild fires and Perama was mourning the loss – following an explosion – of 8 repairmen working unprotected on a tanker ship.