“The 2004 Olympics did not bankrupt the country, it is a mistake, it is a lie,” said Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, adding “The Games were a success, the Committee’s budget was 2 billion euros, we left 135millions to Prime Minister, Costas Karamanlis.”
In an interview with Skai TV, the former head of the Committee assigned with the organization of the Olympic Games and now appointed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to organize the “Greece 2021” festivities dismissed any claims about mismanagement. “For further details, ask the governments that were responsible,” she said. “I did my job and then I went home.”
The “iron lady” of Greece focused on the upcoming celebrations saying that the Committee does not envisage “pharaonic projects.”
“The purpose of the celebration is not a parade, but to help us see what happened, without one single narrative, the one side of the story only,”she stressed.
Saying that “Greece 2021” is addressing Greeks and Philhellenes to see what happened during the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire 200 years ago, to “remember or learn for the first time about the facts of true bravery and self-sacrifice.”
“This issue is so big that it goes beyond us,” Angelopoulos said adding that members of the Committee are many people with different opinions about this part of the Greek history.
“The purpose is to make people remember, reflect, or learn for the first time the side of the facts of the real bravery and self-sacrifice, to give everything to the homeland for freedom. Most importantly, to help us see who we are, what we want to achieve. Do we want to be miserable and oppressed or do we think we have the elements and the potential to stand above? ” she said.
She noted that “Greece 2021” is more important than “Olympic Games 2004.”
“We want the eyes of the world to be on us all the time.” “It is a preparation exercise for what our quality of life will be from now on. Beggars, or those who really have a lot in our hands to do things, “she added.
“We will not get public funds, we are committed to that” she said, however, without revealing how they will fund the celebrations all through the year.
PS To tell you the truth I have not quite understood how the “Greece 2021” celebrations will look like.
In Gianna Angelopoulos wikipedia page it stands:
“Greece 2021” is a multidimensional initiative, It will honor Greece’s past and will primarily celebrate the skill and resilience of the Greek people and demonstrate its confidence in the future. Specific emphasis on entrepreneurship, science and innovation, will highlight the opportunities found in the modern Greece.
As long as the events logo does not look like the usual logos of New Democracy and there are open discussions about history hot potatoes like “Secret Schools: Reality or Myth?” and the “National Disunity” then it’s OK with me.
I don’t want Gianna to think I’m one of the miserable Greek beggars who are against progress…
