An article by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis on the shared course of Greece and the European Union and Europe’s modern geopolitical role was published yesterday, on the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, by two major think tanks in the U.S. and France, the Atlantic Council and the Institut Montaigne.
The central message of the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs is that Greece's accession to the European Communities marked a shift in the Community’s model, as the Europeans began to perceive themselves as a unified geopolitical entity. “Today, forty years later, as the European Union is reinvigorating its partnership with the United States and working toward enlargement in the Western Balkans, with the significant strategic support of Greece, the time is ripe for articulating our hopes and expectations for the emergence of a coherent, geopolitical European Union,” he added.
More specifically, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Greece’s membership to the European Union, Mr. Varvitsiotis called Greece’s EU accession the most significant political development in the country’s post-World War II history, which would not have been achieved without the vision of the charismatic Greek leader Konstantinos Karamanlis and the ardent support of French President Giscard d’ Estaing. He notes, in fact, that the strong political and geopolitical dimension Greece’s presence lends to the European project is no coincidence, as the Greeks have always prioritized democracy for the achievement of any political endeavour and for protection of its sovereignty. In the same spirit, he underscores that, throughout the years of the common European course – and even during critical times – the Greeks have rejected Euroscepticism, opting for “more Europe” and favouring the deepening of European integration.
Regarding the strategy for meeting tomorrow’s challenges, the Alternate Minister stressed that the Conference on the Future of Europe, which begins in May, will create an opportunity for progress in this area. He also stresses that this multi-level dialogue between the European Union and society reflects the deep democratic heritage of Europe and can provide a comprehensive response on our common future. Greece, he adds, is determined to participate actively in this dialogue.
In this direction, Mr. Varvitsiotis points out that the management of the pandemic revealed the need for coordinated action in relation to third countries as well. “To understand the role that the Union needs to play through its participation in global governance. Strategic autonomy is the guiding principle for our discussion on its geopolitical future,” he notes.
As an example of such coordinated action, Mr. Varvitsiotis points to the common stance of the EU and Greece on the crisis in Evros in March 2020 and the instrumentalization of migrant flows by Turkey, adding that “our resilience in defending liberal democracy, territorial integrity, and the rule of law—domestic and international—ultimately contributes to the security of Europe and the protection of its core values and interests against foreign interference and revisionist powers. We demand the possible, at the right time, for the protection of both Greek and European interests at our external borders.”
The Alternate Minister also highlights the need for Europe to adopt integrated policies on emerging challenges, with emphasis on migration and protection of borders, hybrid threats, digital transformation and climate change. More specifically, he refers to the policy innovations Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is implementing, a perfect illustration of which is that Greece will cease producing lignite for electricity by 2028, which constitutes a model of “green” transition for Europe.
Finally, Mr. Varvitsiotis emphasises the importance of the European Union’s coordinated initiative for a common plan to fund research on and procure Covid-19 vaccinations. He underscores that Greece and the Prime Minister supported and participated in these joint efforts with resolve, while at the same time actively promoting the re-opening of tourism and transport through the establishment of a common European vaccination certificate.
Read the article on the Atlantic Council website here.
Read the article on the Institut Montaigne website here.
March 26, 2021