Greece marks 50. anniversary of restoration of democracy

Τhey were all there at the reception at the Presidential Mansion’s gardens on Wednesday evening to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece after the colonel’s junta in 1974.

The Prime Minister and government ministers, leaders of opposition parties, leaders of the Armed Forces as well as people who fought against the dictatorship, artists, athletes, business people as well as representatives from the flooded areas in Thessaly.

Not invited were parents of youngsters who were killed in the Tempi train collision tragedy and the leader of neo-nazi Spartans opposition party.

The leader of nationalist Greek Solution and religious party Nike abstained from the fiesta.

Addressing the guests, President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou described the 50th anniversary of the restoration of democracy as a “historic day”

50-year achievements

The Greek president said the day’s significance lay in bringing to Greece “the smoothest and most progressive era of our modern history, a political, social, and cultural achievement of Greeks, with its landmark being the universal enjoyment of democracy and lifting of restrictions and discrimination.”

“Election integrity, the seamless transition of parties in rule, and the stability of the parliamentary system show the depth and the resilience of our demorcratic institutions, even at times that are difficult for society and the political system,” the Greek president said, adding that the fall of the junta also brought a resurgence of literature and the arts, while education became a common good instead of a privilege for the few. “Greeks acquired more opportunities and enriched their experiences, they studied and traveled abroad,” she noted, among others.

Sakellaropoulou also referred to contemporary challenges, which she said went beyond Greek borders. She named artificial intelligence both for its benefits to several sectors like health, work, and education, but also expressed concern about its distortions, its erosion of democracy and one’s personal sphere by fake news, and the replacement of human resources by algorithms. “The high cost of living, the shrinking of purchasing power, and the opening of the gap between the winners and losers of globalization call for the need for regulations and public policies based on social justice and the equality of opportunities,” the president underlined.

She also called for urgent measures against the climate crisis, which “threatens humanity’s existence.”

Earlier in the Parliament, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that “the 50-year anniversary must become a starting point for a better life and a better Greece.”