By Penelope Galliou

This year’s reception at the Presidential Palace for the half-century anniversary of the restoration of Democracy in the country sheds light on society and its citizens. Tonight the evening Katerina Sakellaropoulouwill welcome, as every year, in the gardens of the Presidential Palace, in addition to its high-ranking guests from the political scene, the authorities of the country, distinguished personalities from the entire spectrum of society, and a number of citizens, whose personal stories have stigmatized Greek society .

Broadcasting the message that our democracy wants to be next to the citizen and his difficult moments, from the extended list of guests who are expected to cross his threshold Presidential Palace, and have a strong symbolism, the parents of Erietta stand out, the only one of the victims of the Tempe tragedy whose traces have not been found. Also, six years after the deadly fire in Mati, burn victims and relatives of the victims who died in the tragedy have been invited. The guest list also includes people distinguished for their volunteerism and the superhuman efforts they made in the last year in order to save their fellow human beings, animals, and property from disasters and natural disasters that hit the country. Among them is the 80-year-old Kostas Tassiopoulos who, with his boat, freed and rescued fellow citizens during the strike of the “Daniel” in Thessaly last September, as well as residents of Evros villages, who voluntarily participated in efforts to extinguish the fire in last summer and environmental organizations that rescued animals in the forest of Dadia.

Among the unsung heroes, who in their own way set a good example of giving and fighting for the common good, are also those, also invited to the reception for the restoration of the Republic, Panagiotis and Sotiria Arabatzi from Didymoteicho and Athena Papachristou from Messolonghi, who from their backlog proceeded to donate ambulances to the hospitals in their regions.

The invitation of the representatives of the SOS 15900 telephone line for abused women is also of particular value and strong symbolism, as the phenomenon has reached alarming proportions, making domestic violence a daily occurrence in our country as well.

At the political level, after a period of tension and counter-complaints, almost a month and a half after the recent European elections, the political leaders will be together for the first time at today’s reception for the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the Republic. A reception in which the president of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, will be present for the first time after his election to the leadership of the party, while Nikos Androulakis will be present with the “dual” role of leader and re-candidate for the presidency PASOK. But the two leaders in question are expected to “fall in the spotlight” and for an additional reason, as it is the first time they will be in the same place and face to face, after the hand of friendship that was extended on the occasion of the Cyprus issue on the issue of missing persons, Stefanos Kasselakis to Nikos Adnroulakis, while the need to approach the progressive forces and create a common front is still maintained, at least in the public conversation.