The great overthrow at the wheel of PASOK and the country by the laoplanet Andreas Papandreou to the professor with the cold loose handshake, brought mainly by the citizens who gave him a vote of confidence for two government terms, showed the dynamics hidden by the former prime minister who left life with a breath, at 88 years. He was the prime minister with the black block, which was fear of ministers. “Golden mediocrity” as they called it, as he was called hymeter and hemesters who yet achieved great goals. Kostas Simitis wrote history with Greece’s entry into the euro, the great works of the Olympic Games, the accession to the EU of Cyprus that shielded it after the barbaric invasion of Attila. Yes, Imia and “thank you” to the Americans from the then only a few days-old prime minister elected by the PASOK parliamentary group to replace the sick Andreas Papandreou, is one of the dark spots of his political route. But what did his successors do to enable the goats to go up again on the island to graze freely? Many tributes have been written and aired in all media for political Simitis all these days. I’m going to focus on little revelations that illuminate the Simite man. The habits Nobel laureate Irish writer Samuel Bennett, had written that “the habit is a very good silencer”. Costas Simitis who made his own revolutions – started by a bomber during the junta period and as Prime Minister introduced the political term “modernization” into the Greek partisanism – was a man whose everyday life was accompanied by habits. Decompression! Daphne’s wife whom they met and fell in love with when they studied at the LSE, had demanded and was respected by all their friends, at their private meetings never to speak politically. Save the moments of decompression he needed. She was the only one who called him “Constantino”. 2:30! When he was in Maximus Daphne Simitis’ “order” to his associates was that at 2.30pm, whatever he did would interrupt him and go to their house (Reader) for their meal and a little rest. Most days he was returning to his office this afternoon. Every Thursday At the time he was Prime Minister, the Shemite couple did not break the habit of years. Every Thursday, he ate – alternately in the houses – with the close company he had with 5-6 couples (Karajas, Kranidiotis, Tsugopoulos, Giannitsi etc). Each wife brought her own speciality and the householder cooked a meal. The stings! At times when PASOK was sweating in the province’s bouzouktsics on election tours and most ministers were staying up late, Simitis was retiring early in his room. He probably never got into anyone. Besides, he liked classical music. The “buses of victory” as they called them, on which the prime minister and ministers rode and followed journalists and local officials on an election tour crossed green Crete. Many stations from the hospitable Cretans with the laid tables and the tsikoudi on the road. Simitis didn’t even rain his lips even though he was fascinated by the atmosphere. He had instructions from Daphne not to drink. “Don’t tell her,” she told us at a time when she broke the rule. Of course she was the first Prime Minister to say “to stop the bales”! Every summer Stable was the summer destination of Kostas Simitis. He was on vacation in Sifnos. Always at the same hotel. And the same company. Plus Angela Kokkola. Less days when he was Prime Minister. About a month when he was free of obligations. His home in Saint Theodores by the sea was always his retreat. There he left life, calm in his sleep. By address Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with a message (in fact with a statement from Maximos) will announce the person he proposes for the Presidency of the Republic, probably next week. Tomorrow on the same day he will go to Egypt, on Thursday he will attend the funeral of Kostas Simitis and on Friday he will convene the first cabinet of 2025. So Monday actually begins the countdown to end the presidency. The latest information – rather estimates why it continues to play it tight – insist that it appears to end up in a person not paraclassical but from the centre-left area that PASOK will also vote for, with political experience as in our day global stability is in crisis, the years ahead are difficult and it is good for the two senior offices to be robust personalities. Evangelos Venizelos seems to be the favorite. Short psalm… A change of dogging confirmed another column report. On Friday 1/11/2024 entitled “Francoyannis leaves” we said that “the Deputy Foreign Minister, responsible for economic diplomacy and extroversion, has asked the Prime Minister to leave the government for personal reasons rather than for political disagreement. It maintains excellent relations with political leadership and with Maximus. He has successfully carried out business and commercial cooperation with his counterparts in the context of the Greek-Turkish dialogue.” Within January but not directly, Costas Francogiannis’ resignation will be announced – as the latest information says. Favori for the position is MP of Serres Tasos Hatzivassiliou, first vice-president of the Committee on European Affairs of the House and secretary for International Relations and the EU of the South. He speaks English, French, Spanish and Turkish. I accompany Kyriakos Mitsotakis on many trips abroad and he has already gained a rich experience. To Gabriel Tsounis The last Theophany in Athens in his capacity as Ambassador of the United States was celebrated by George Tsounis, in New Philadelphia, with his close friend Metropolitan Gabriel. In the sanctification of the waters in the Philadelphia grove the government representative Paul Marinakis – Philadelphia is in the constituency (North Sector) where he will be nominated for the next election – Health Minister Adonis Georgiades who welcomed him with his suspension, following the announcement of his nomination, the president of the Port of Liberty Zoe Konstantopoulou, the financial sector leader Milena Apostolakis from PASOK and Ursula with pneumonia The new year found with heavy pneumonia the president of the Commission Ursula Von Der Leien. She cancelled her visit to Poland taking over the EU presidency for the first half of 2025. The war in Ukraine, the “hybrid” war on the Polish – Belarus border, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it, prioritise the autonomy of the EU in defence and security, which also serves the Greek objectives. Interparty… coffee In Kolonaki coffee three ladies of politics met after their television appearances. Katerina Batzeli (PASOK) with Marilisa Xenoyanakopoulou (SYRIZA) who had made an appointment and Eliza Vozeberg (ND) who broke into the company. They were talking fine. Women’s political culture!
The “gold mediocrity” with the block that wrote history unknown personal moments of Kostas Simitis with a diangela Mitsotakis the name for the Presidency of the Republic
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