Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App

" 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. "

Related Quotes:

" 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

" 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. "

" 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. "

George Papandreou

You

Change

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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

" I never thought of politics as a profession. "

" We in Europe have great capacities. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" I am proud of being a Greek of the diaspora. "

George Papandreou

Being

Greek

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

George Papandreou

Think

Long

" 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

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

" 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. "

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

" 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. "

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

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

" There is this concept of politics as a dirty game. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

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

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

" 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. "