Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Speaking at the Athens Forum 2014 - Democracy under Pressure event held at the Acropolis Museum yesterday, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said that Greece has returned from the brink of collapse, while "lauding the country’s ability to keep going through the damaging effects of the crisis." The event was organized by Kathimerini and the International New York Times.
"Now the picture is different," he added, making reference to a series of positive economic indicators suggesting that Greece is back on track, including its achievement of a primary surplus and climbing the global competitiveness index…"We jumped from 147 to 36 on the competitiveness index ... and we are going to move further up, to the real top places of world competitiveness." The premier was referring to Greece’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2014 index, up to 36th place from 147th place in the 2013 edition of the ranking.
In his opening speech at the Athens Forum, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Evangelos Venizelos referred to the risks that modern democracy is faced with and the need to strengthen the democratic institutions amid instability and the economic crisis.
He noted that a great institutional and moral dilemma is being raised; the potential for enemies of Democracy to exploit democratic rights, institutions, and processes. "What is most critical is that we shape democratic political responses to the causes of the economic and social pressure Western Democracy is under in its own home. This concerns the need for policies that safeguard the employment, dignity and prosperity of all citizens. The need for policies that redress inequalities and injustices, and that safeguard social cohesion," he stressed.
He also spoke about the Arab Spring and its aftermath, which we are now seeing in Syria, Iraq and Lybia, with the transformation of terrorist organizations: "To have Democracy, you must have a structured state and basic guarantees of internal and external security."
He noted that a great institutional and moral dilemma is being raised; the potential for enemies of Democracy to exploit democratic rights, institutions, and processes. "What is most critical is that we shape democratic political responses to the causes of the economic and social pressure Western Democracy is under in its own home. This concerns the need for policies that safeguard the employment, dignity and prosperity of all citizens. The need for policies that redress inequalities and injustices, and that safeguard social cohesion," he stressed. He also spoke about the Arab Spring and its aftermath, which we are now seeing in Syria, Iraq and Lybia, with the transformation of terrorist organizations: "To have Democracy, you must have a structured state and basic guarantees of internal and external security."
