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George Papandreou

George Papandreou Books

Former Prime Minister of Greece

George Papandreou, born on June 16, 1952, is a former Prime Minister of Greece. He has extensive experience in politics and served as Prime Minister twice. During his tenure, Greece faced severe economic crises, and his policies and decisions received widespread attention both domestically and internationally.

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Related Quotes

“Despite the deep reforms we are making, traders and speculators have forced interest rates on Greek bonds to record highs.”

Interest Records Rate Despite Reform Greek Interest Rate Traders Speculators

Author:George Papandreou

“Every leader wants to put his or her imprint on the work that they do, and grow up in specific eras.”

Want Grows Leader Growing Up Eras

Author:George Papandreou

“Greece's history in the drachma was an up-and-down history, a roller coaster.”

Greece Up And Down Roller Coaster Coasters

Author:George Papandreou

“I have always said I will be in politics to serve as best as I can and it will take me wherever it will take me.”

Said I Can Take Me

Author:George Papandreou

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

Ifs World Country Together Economy European Countries

Author:George Papandreou

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

Real Problem Cutting Taxes Greece Real Problems Evasion Tax Evasion

Author:George Papandreou

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

Needs Economy Europe Stronger Structure Integrated

Author:George Papandreou

“We in Europe have great capacities.”

Europe Capacity

Author:George Papandreou

“As long as I feel I am doing what I think is right and just for my country, for the Greek people, that is enough for me. Saving Greece from this crisis was the first thing on the agenda. We are now on a much more normalised road.”

People Thinking Feels Firsts Long Country Enough Crisis Saving Greek Agendas Greece

Author:George Papandreou

“At times of distress, we all like to recall the advice of fathers and mothers. The best advice my father gave me was to keep faith and deep confidence in the potential of the Greek people; nurture the belief that they can do things.”

People Mother Father Belief Can Do Advice Greek Recalls Distress Nurture Best Advice Keep The Faith

Author:George Papandreou

“But sovereign debt is a wider question not only in Europe but across the globe. While every country is a unique case, I think it's not an issue of countries acting on their own. We need a more coordinated strategy not only in Europe but around the world.”

Thinking World Needs Country Acting Cases Issues Unique Europe Strategy Debt Around The World Globes Sovereign

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Ifs Problem Jobs Strong Europe Deeper Consumers Recessions Consumer Confidence

Author:George Papandreou

“First of all, Greece won't go down. We're talking about a country that is capable of making change. Europe will not allow the destabilization of the 27-country euro zone. But if there were no action, then markets would start becoming jittery about other countries - and not only Spain and Portugal, but other countries in the European Union.”

Ifs Firsts Country Action Talking Becoming Capable Europe Unions Zone Other Countries Spain Greece Making Changes European Union Euro Portugal

Author:George Papandreou

“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?”

Country Hands Leader Support Greek Lazy Greece

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Should Has Beens Stills States Government President United United States Progress Europe Unions European Union Selected Work In Progress

Author:George Papandreou

“If Greece had gone through a very normal political life, I may have not been in politics. But just the fact that I lived through huge upheavals and very difficult struggles and polarization and the barbarism of dictatorships - that made me feel that we had to change this country.”

Ifs Feels May Made Country Facts Political Difficult Struggle Gone Huge Normal Dictatorship Greece Barbarism Political Life Upheaval Polarization

Author:George Papandreou

“I think there is a heritage which I’m proud of, which is a fight for democracy, a fight for social justice, a fight for freedom. My grandfather went to jail or exile six times in his life, fighting for his principles for democracy, or for his country. And my father twice.”

Thinking Country Fighting Father Social Justice Principles Democracy Proud Six Social Justice Jail Heritage Grandfather Exile My Grandfather Fighting For Freedom

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

People Needs Firsts Would Be Choices Enjoy Support British Welcome Greek Greece Friend In Need

Author:George Papandreou

“If we were the problem, it would be very convenient, kick Greece out, everything's fine. But what happened to Spain? What about Portugal? What about Italy? What about the whole of the Eurozone? We need more cooperation and less simplification and prejudice about what has to happen.”

Ifs Needs Whole Problem Happens Would Be Fine Prejudice Kicks Zone Cooperation Spain Greece Convenient Euro Simplification Portugal

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

People Has Beens Problem Greek Patronizing Moralizing

Author:George Papandreou

“Markets are saying pretty much what I'm saying too: that Greece is doing what it can, but that Greece is not going to be able to carry the weight of all of Europe and the other problems that Europe has.”

Problem Able Europe Weight Greece

Author:George Papandreou

“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 within the Eurozone.”

People Want Believe Made I Believe Sacrifice Majors Greek Zone Exit Euro

Author:George Papandreou

“The Marshall Plan was after destruction, and the U.S. came to our help and obviously this was very, very important for the future of Europe. I think now we have all the capabilities of doing it on our own and, in a sense, we have to.”

Thinking Important Helping Plans Europe Destruction Capability Marshall Plan

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

People Made Effort Huge Reform Greek Making Changes Hogwash

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Knows Want Needs Wells Country Done Problem Lasts Courses Decades Manage Our Country Greek

Author:George Papandreou

“We have made major reforms in Greece. When I took over after a landslide victory we had a mandate for change and I knew my major focus would be re-organizing the state.”

Made States Would Be Focus Victory Majors Reform Greece Mandates Landslides

Author:George Papandreou

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

Made Moments Certain Choices Nations Decades Choices Made

Author:George Papandreou

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

Author:George Papandreou

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

Ifs Ideas States Guy Successful Taxes Tough Deceiving Tough Guy

Author:George Papandreou

“Everyone needs to carry out his own personal revolution.”

Needs Revolution

Author:George Papandreou

“People would say you look weak if you're not cursing the opposition and driving around in a big black car while always wearing a tie. Above all, to be 'strong' you're always supposed to be giving orders.”

People Ifs Giving Looks Bigs Order Strong Black Car Weak Driving Supposed To Be Ties Opposition Cursing

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Has Beens Facts Opportunity Given Nations Process Steps Taken Europe Good Things Unions Zone Solidarity Defects Greece Euro

Author:George Papandreou

“It is important that the Greek people make decisions on important developments.”

People Important Decision Development Greek

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Want Country Today Situation Path Messages Stronger Our Country Greek

Author:George Papandreou

“When I was growing up in the United States and Sweden, I never thought about becoming a politician.”

States United United States Growing Up Growing Becoming Politician Sweden

Author:George Papandreou

“Politics also means educating people. It's important to speak openly with our fellow Greeks, to tell them what our problems are and that we have to change something.”

People Mean Important Problem Speak Fellows Greek

Author:George Papandreou

“Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises.”

Government Corruption Agency Enterprise Government Agencies

Author:George Papandreou

“I am proud of being a Greek of the diaspora.”

Proud Greek Diaspora

Author:George Papandreou

“I never thought of politics as a profession.”

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Ifs Country Might Today Father Military Becoming Politician Six My Family Prison Professors Grandfather Dictatorship My Grandfather

Author:George Papandreou

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

People Country Problem Together Solve Greek

Author:George Papandreou

“I can officially state that my government and myself believe that all over Europe we need to open a debate on the 'drug question' in order to create more coherent and human policies with better perspectives. . . . The policy of criminalizing consumers has failed, creating many problems to our society.”

Needs Believe Humans I Can States Problem Government Order Policy Perspective Drug Creating Europe Debate Consumers Our Society

Author:George Papandreou

“There is this concept of politics as a dirty game. It's a difficult game, but it doesn't have to be dirty. I think this is what we need to bring to politics. I think politics around the world has very often been captured by big interests - 'lobbies' they call them in the States.”

Thinking World Needs States Bigs Games Difficult Interest Concepts Around The World Dirty Captured

Author:George Papandreou

“Countries are not like financial markets. Social change cannot be executed as swiftly as credit-default swaps. You cannot sell short on social commitments and practical responsibilities.”

Country Social Responsibility Commitment Sells Financial Credit Practicals Social Change Default Financial Markets Credit Default Swap

Author:George Papandreou

“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.”

Has Beens Political Greece Framework Political Systems

Author:George Papandreou

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

Opportunity Cases Study Policy Europe Greece Coordination Fiscal Policy Case Studies

Author:George Papandreou

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

World Country Turns Greece Transparent

Author:George Papandreou

“The more there is a European solution to a theoretical, but possible, problem in the markets, the less we will have to talk about an I.M.F. solution.”

Problem Solutions Theoretical

Author:George Papandreou

“We had about 60 regions in Greece and now there are only 13. It'd be like cutting down 50 states to 13 and making it more efficient.”

States Cutting Regions Efficient Greece Cutting Down

Author:George Papandreou

“If we were going to default, we would have decided that many months ago. It would be wrong for the Greek economy, it would be wrong for the European economy, it would make things worse in the end. That's why we're taking the pain and making these structural reforms, and we're on target.”

Ifs Ends Would Be Pain Economy Months Decided Reform Greek Target Default

Author:George Papandreou

About the Author

Born: June 16, 1952
Known for: Former Prime Minister of Greece
Quotes: 56

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