Athens
, 9 May 2006
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
I would like to welcome you to the historic Zappeion Megaro. Today we are celebrating, with the rest of Europe, the 56th anniversary of Robert Schuman’s laying the foundations for today’s European Union with his proposal for France, Germany and other European countries to jointly manage the production of coal and steel as “the first concrete foundation of a European federation”.
But this year, Europe Day coincides with Greece 25th anniversary as a member of the European family. Greece and Europe are celebrating their “silver anniversary” this year. We are celebrating 25 years of a common course – an interactive relationship that has proved mutually beneficial.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Twenty-five years ago, here at Zappeion Megaro, Constantine Karamanlis and Georgios Rallis signed Greece’s historic accession to what was then the European Community, in spite of the reservations expressed in the European Commission’s opinion a few years earlier. This is how our country’s European course began; a course that would bring Greece to Europe and Europe to Greece.
The bonds between Greece and the Continent that took its name from the myth of Zeus and Europa are ancient and strong. They were not simply bonds of political interests. They were much more than that. They were bonds of culture.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order for one to comprehend the extent of the progress that was achieved in Europe and our country in the second half of the 20th century, one must call to mind the state into which Europe had deteriorated by the end of World War II.
Europe was in ruins.
In Eastern Europe and the neighbouring Balkans, authoritarian regimes were in place. In Spain and Portugal there were dictatorships for decades. With the division of Europe into Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc, and the competition between the superpowers of the time, our continent lived in fear of a nuclear holocaust.
I remember the anxiety we felt, as children, hearing every night on the radio that at any moment a nuclear holocaust might result from the Bay of Pigs crisis.
Post-war Greece was plagued by poverty and – frequently – political instability. The late 1960s brought a military dictatorship that had devastating social, political, economic and diplomatic consequences.
Dear Friends,
Looking back at all this, one wonders how our country, like the European Continent as a whole, managed to overcome these difficulties and dangers and embark on a course of democracy, cooperation and prosperity.
Unfortunately, it is in man’s nature to quickly forget misfortune when better times arrive. But one who does not learn from the past – as has been rightly said – is doomed to repeat it.
The young people of today are not aware of the tragic conditions in which their fathers lived. So it is incumbent upon us not only to offer them a new vision for the future, but also to remind them of the past.
The magic ingredient uniting our Continent is none other than the common perception that we all have – if only on a subconscious level – of Europe as our common home.
All of us feel that Europe – at least in part – is our common homeland: it is the homeland of our history, our imagination, and our future. No matter where we come from, we are all enthralled by our common European heritage. We all know Greek and Roman mythology and history. German philosophy and symphonic music are part of our common European heritage. England was the first to establish the parliamentary system and market economy that prevail across Europe today.
The list is endless. Just think how much poorer each of us would be if we were limited to the intellectual and material achievements of our country alone.
That is why Europe is our common home. That is why its prosperity and security must always be the object of our common care. From the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Community and the European Union, the path was long and difficult. It would be easy for us to say that the reasons for this convergence were purely economic. But this alone cannot explain the gradual but substantial marginalisation of the traditional animosities of today’s member states.
Dear Friends,
It was but a few years ago when open borders, a common currency and the nearly five-fold increase in the number of member states were considered by many to be the “dream” of a few idealists.
We are well aware, of course, that the path to unification was never easy. Along the way, we faced crises and disagreements.
Today, Europe is at a critical crossroads. We are facing new and complex economic, social and institutional challenges.
The European Union is being called upon to:
· promote its economic development and its competitiveness within the international system,
· guarantee employment and prosperity for its citizens, in tandem with social cohesion,
· acquire a trusted and unified voice on the world stage, and
· win back the confidence of its citizens and satisfy their needs and expectations. It is Europe’s citizens that we must address ourselves to and convince. We have to clarify the decision-making process and overcome the image of a complex bureaucracy. We have to strengthen the European identity and clarify the objectives we want to achieve.
We want European integration and enlargement to proceed together – not weighing one another down, but nurturing one another creatively.
It has been 25 years since our country acceded to what was then the European Community, and most Greeks are enthusiastic supporters of European integration. According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, 73% of Greeks have a positive view of the EU, while 83% consider our country to have benefited from joining the European Union. A high percentage of those surveyed – between 67 and 88% – believe that many issues have been dealt with more effectively with our country in the Union. Among these issues are the fight against unemployment, health, and the protection of employees and consumers.
Today’s Europe of freedom, democracy, prosperity, freedom of movement, and – above all – peace, is a Europe that belongs to Greeks as well.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the 25 years that have gone by since our accession, we have accomplished much. Our participation in the European Union has given us significant financial assistance and helped us to modernise our infrastructure, increase our growth rate, and promote our social and economic convergence with the countries of western Europe.
Truth be told, there were delays. We saw countries that embarked at about the same time – or even later than we did – move ahead at a quicker pace. But today, the Greek government, through its policies, is leaving these weaknesses behind and preparing to put the country into a position where it can make optimum use of the opportunities afforded by European integration and the new international environment.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greece’s role in European developments has been rendered even more important by the European perspectives of the Western Balkans and Turkey. The European perspectives of these countries is for Greece a strong guarantee of peace and stability in the region of Southeast Europe. That is why we have every reason to play a leading role in spurring these countries along the difficult path to the European Union.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are honoured to have among us today those who worked to bring about our inclusion in the European family – the members of the “Kontogeogis Team”, who undertook Greece’s accession negotiations with the EEC.
We honour them today for the role they played at such an important turning point for Greece.
Along with them, we also honour all the politicians, diplomats, administrators, technocrats and many others who – directly or anonymously – fought the good fight.
May the vision and hard work of those who brought about our accession serve as our compass today, when the future of Europe must again be addressed by all of us. May they give us the inspiration, will and strength to complete what they began.
Today, we are celebrating our common European destiny. We are celebrating the vision of a Europe prosperous, strong and peaceful. The vision is clear: Europe as a real union of citizens and cultures under one roof. Europe as a real political union with a distinct, positive role in global affairs is a vision that continues to inspire us.
That is why the endeavour for a better, more just, and stronger Europe continues.
Thank you.