Marking the 52nd anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece, President Konstantinos Tasoulas emphasized the importance of institutional stability, parliamentary democracy, and national unity. He also reaffirmed Greece’s continued commitment to achieving a fair, sustainable, and functional solution to the Cyprus issue.
A Democracy Forged Through Struggle
Speaking on 24 July — the day in 1974 when democracy returned to Greece after the fall of the military junta — President Tasoulas recalled the stark contrast between Greece’s democratic renewal and the tragic events unfolding in Cyprus at the same time: the coup d’état backed by the Greek junta and the subsequent Turkish invasion. “I see before me the precipice into which oppression has plunged our country,” poet and diplomat George Seferis declared on 28 March 1969, condemning the dictatorship — words that resonated deeply during those dark years.
Five Decades of Democratic Evolution
The Third Hellenic Republic, established under the leadership of Constantine Karamanlis, has evolved into the most stable, liberal, and enduring democratic period in modern Greek political history. Though not without serious crises and setbacks, Greece’s parliamentary institutions have consistently adapted to meet the demands of changing times.
“We now have a democracy that is experienced and mature — ready to confront today’s challenges of conflict, uncertainty, and instability that define the international landscape,” said President Tasoulas.
Democracy as Responsibility
Greece has been a representative democracy since its first constitution — adopted by the National Assembly at Epidaurus in 1822. Yet the democracy restored 52 years ago offers more than rights; it carries responsibilities. These include fostering a more moderate political climate, building consensus around Greece’s long-standing and now historic pro-European orientation, and maintaining national unity in the face of major domestic and foreign policy challenges.
“Greece’s security and progress within the European framework — a path set in motion 52 years ago — depend on these conditions,” Tasoulas added. “And it is precisely these conditions we must continue to safeguard — in the name of the most stable and creative democracy we have ever known, the one restored half a century ago.”
Commemoration at Liberty Park
Earlier in the day, President Tasoulas visited the former EAT-ESA detention facilities at Liberty Park in Athens, where he laid a wreath at the bust of Spyros Mustaklis — a prominent resistance figure imprisoned during the dictatorship. He was welcomed by Evangelos Gkiougis, President of the Association of Political Prisoners and Exiles (1967–1974), members of its Administrative Council, and among them, Christina Mustaklis.