Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Monday had their last official meeting at the presidential mansion, during which the prime minister thanked her for her five years of service in the position of Greece’s president.
The prime minister said that she had left her own special stamp on the office, as Greece’s first female president, while adding that the election of her successor took place in accordance with all the provisions of the Constitution.
On her part, Sakellaropoulos noted that civilisation and understanding in politics were now more essential than ever.
Mitsotakis stressed their meeting on Monday was special because it would be the last that they would have together in their current capacities, though others will follow in other capacities.
“Let me thank you for your five year contribution as the first woman to be president of the Republic, with a special and distinct imprint. I wish you all the best,” Mitsotakis said. He noted that her successor will be taking over at a particularly difficult time of international geopolitical upheaval that was “unprecedented with respect to all that we have known until today”, as well as a situation domestically “in which it is our obligation, both as state institutions and political parties, to heal wounds, forge unity and build firmer relations of trust between the political system, the institutions and the citizens.”
This, he added, “brings to the forefront important reforms, such as a revision of article 86 on ministerial responsibility and many other measures that must positively metabolise the climate of distrust and anger that exists in Greek society. Also, for a demand that calls not only for justice but also for a state that is truly functional, modern and a state that is accountable for the services it provides.”
The prime minister then referred to the recent developments at the European Council with respect to initiatives for a common EU defence, which he described as exceptionally good for Greece.
Referring to events in Syria, Mitsotakis said that Greece had from the first moment expressed concerns about the new regime and that these will be raised by Greece again on Monday at the UN Security Council.
“Greece had from the first moment expressed its concerns to those who rushed to recognise the new regime in Damascus. Greece has always had its reservations and will continue to fight for the protection of minorities, especially those of Christians, and so that we do not reach the point where one authoritarian regime replaces the other,” the premier said.
Sakellaropoulou stressed that institutional communication and information are the components of democracy and that the meetings with the prime minister had great significance. “Political consensus is more essential than ever,” she said, expressing her wish that everything will go well for the country and with the revision of the Constitution.
“It is important that there is accountability and an assigning of responsibilities. There should be consensus in the revision of the Constitution,” she said.
Regarding the EU, the president said it was crucial that there should be unity and strategic autonomy, while she stressed the need for immediate peace in Syria.
“Let me thank you and the Parliament for the confidence you have shown in me for five years,” she concluded.
