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" 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. "

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" 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. "

George Papandreou

Show

Proud

World

" 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? "

" 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. "

" 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. "

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

George Papandreou

Opportunity

Study

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

" 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. "

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

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

George Papandreou

Work

Grow

" 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. "

" In ancient Greece, politics and the market were not decoupled. "

" Europe has a lot of strength. We need to pool that strength, and I am very much in favour of that - more of a deeper political union. "

" 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. "

" The fact that we're going through a crisis is an opportunity for Europe to be more coordinated and more integrated. We're actually talking about a European Monetary Fund or euro bonds, about guarantees for countries, about economic governance in the European Union. That shows the strength of Europe. "

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

" Already people are saying we do need a change. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

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

" 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. "

George Papandreou

Politics

Said

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

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

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

" The unemployed in Greece can get a voucher and choose a training program somewhere in Europe to be retrained during this crisis and when this crisis is over, we make sure that that person hasn't fallen off the cliff and can come back into the labor market with new skills to find a job. "

" 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. "

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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. "