Top 30 George Papandreou Quotes

There are certain moments in the history of a nation when the choices made define the decades to come.

There is this concept of politics as a dirty game.

I would like to see Greece as a case study, an opportunity for Europe to strengthen its coordination of fiscal policy.

Already people are saying we do need a change.

Greece has great strengths, but much of this potential has been wasted. That’s because of a wider political system, but also because of a lack of an institutional framework.

We Greeks want change. We know there are problems in our system. We have great potential but we need to manage our country well. Now that hasn’t been done over the last decades. And that is, of course, what we are paying for.

I will always be upfront with the Greek people, so we can solve the country’s problems together.

Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises. Our political system promotes nepotism and wasting money. This has undermined our legal system and confidence in the functioning of the state. One of the consequences is that many citizens don’t pay their taxes.

Many people have been pontificating, and patronizing, and moralizing, and scapegoating, saying you Greeks, you are the problem. I would say we Greeks have a problem. We are not the problem.

I would say we are a friend in need and I am sure that the Greek people would very much welcome the choice of the British people to come and enjoy Greece, first of all, but also that would be a sign of support.

Greece has given Europe the opportunity to fix a defect in the euro zone, that is the fact that we did not have a fiscal union. Now steps have been taken to begin that process. And there is more solidarity from nation to nation, and that is a good thing. That has been Greece’s gift to Europe.

How can a parliamentarian or a leader in a country say, on the one hand, that we’re going to support Greece but at the same time say that Greeks are lazy?

This idea that you’re a successful tough guy if you evade taxes and deceive the state has got to change.

The structures in Europe in a globalising economy need to be modernised, need to be more integrated, need to be stronger.

My hope is that we will turn Greece into maybe the most transparent country in the world with everything on the web.

I have a deep sense of responsibility to my country and Greek people.

The real problem in Greece is not cutting taxes, it’s making sure that we don’t have tax evasion.

I have been supporting the European Union, but we are still a work in progress. We have to become more of a United States of Europe. We should talk about electing a president of the E.U., rather than having one selected from the heads of government.

We’re very proud to be part of the eurozone. But this comes with obligations and it is crucial we show the world we can live up to those obligations.

I never thought about becoming a politician. But during the military dictatorship, my grandfather was put in prison six times and my father twice. If my family and my country didn’t have this history, I might be a professor somewhere today.

Everyone needs to carry out his own personal revolution.

Very often, people will come out and say, ‘Greeks aren’t doing things, Greeks aren’t making changes, there’s no reform,’ That is hogwash. We have made a huge effort. The Greek people have made a huge effort.

If we were the problem, it would be very convenient – kick Greece out, everything’s fine. What would happen to Spain, what about Portugal, what about Italy, what about the whole of the euro zone? We need more cooperation and less simplification and prejudice.

If you put all the European countries together, we are the biggest economy in the world.

Europe is a strong market for the U.S. If it has problems, if there’s a lack of consumer confidence, if there’s a deeper recession, this will deeply affect jobs in the U.S.

Markets themselves are looking for stability, and I think we have underestimated the capacity of Europe… to actually create a more stable framework for the whole issue of debt management, bonds, and so on.

The Greek people do not want to exit the euro. And I believe the Greek people already have shown that they have made major sacrifices to stay in the euro zone.

You can theorise about the options you have but in reality they are very specific.

We have a rise of extremism because we need to give a sense that we are targeting some of the deeper problems in Greece, the injustices.

Today I want to send a message of optismism to all Greeks. Our road, our path, will be more stabilised. Our country will be in a better situation. We will be stronger.