Four Days of National Mourning for Passing of Kostas Simitis

Four days of national mourning have been declared for the death of former Prime Minister Kostas Simitis. His funeral will be at public expense and the honors of a sitting Prime Minister will be accorded, wrote Interior Minister Thodoris Livanios in a statement on Facebook.

“Kostas Simitis was a politician who was twice honored by the Greek people with the office of Prime Minister. He tried, sometimes with great success, sometimes with less, to change the country, responding to the challenges of the times,” wrote Livanios.

“A university professor with a rich academic body of work, a leading figure in the anti-dictatorship struggle, he walked all these years with kindness and ethics.

“We hold, mainly, the two historical achievements that bear his personal stamp: The country’s accession to the eurozone and the entry of Cyprus into the European Union.

By decision of the Government, his funeral will be at public expense, the honors of a serving Prime Minister will be given , and four days of national mourning will be declared.

“Sincere condolences to his wife, his daughters and his family.”

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: A worthy and noble political opponent

“With sadness and respect, I bid farewell to Kostas Simitis. A worthy and noble political opponent. But also the Prime Minister who accompanied Greece in its great national steps: joining the Eurozone and the Euro and Cyprus’ entry into Europe. A personality who, undoubtedly, leaves his own mark on the development of the country, throughout the last decades,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a statement on the loss of Costas Simitis.

“Kostas Simitis was a consistent fighter against the dictatorship and, later, a founding member, leading figure and president of PASOK. A capable academic teacher and a moderate parliamentary man. Above all, however, a catalyst of public life, who boldly placed at its center the great effort of modernizing the country.

‘Modernization has no end date,’ he believed. ‘It is an ongoing process, based on the values ​​of Democracy, justice and the continuous expansion of the individual’s potential. It is a term with content and political value. A tool for action for changing society as long as there is a past that determines the present and prevents adaptation to the future.

“Regardless of political differences, I think that this legacy still runs through today, as a common claim, the demands of the homeland. Something that marks the share of Kostas Simitis’ contribution to it. Allowing him, from now on, to maintain a special place in memory and in History. My most sincere condolences to his wife Daphne, his daughters and his loved ones.”

Source: tovima.com