The prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received it Global Citizen Award of the Atlantic Council by the CEO of Pfizer, dr. Albert Burla.

This is an international Atlantic Council award given to selected personalities, with this year’s awardees also including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and top South Korean film producer Miki Lee.

Mr Bourla initially said he was “thrilled with the privilege of introducing Prime Minister Mitsotakis as he receives the Atlantic Council’s highest honor for global citizens” and described him as “a visionary champion of a new era of economic prosperity, a leader committed to his country who won the trust of the Greeks. A humble leader, whose re-election has shown that he keeps his political promises, while at the same time he has the respect of world leaders.”

Receiving the award, the Prime Minister thanked Mr. Bourla for his honorary introduction and “stressed that this award belongs to all Greeks for their resilience and perseverance, for what they have achieved in recent years.”

“What we achieved in Greece is to show that one can govern from the political center. That he can be pro-development but also fiscally responsible. Whatever it may be, and here echo the words of my good friend Georgia Meloni, a true patriot, focusing on a strong defense and border protection, while at the same time being socially liberal, providing high-quality public goods and reducing inequality.” emphasized Mr. Mitsotakis.

The prime minister said that the re-election of his government was a response to how populism can be defeated.

“The grievances of people who vote for populists are very real, whether they relate to income inequality, or identity issues, or the consequences of globalization – the winners and losers. These are real grievances and we need to be very careful in dealing with them and certainly not belittle the concerns of ordinary people. Our government emphasizes politics not politics. It is our responsibility as leaders to find solutions and we will be judged by how much we have improved the lives of our citizens,” he said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to Greek-American relations, stressing that “Greece is a stable ally of the USA and a pillar of security and stability in a turbulent region”.

The prime minister ended his speech with a quote from the previous president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, whom he “deeply respects”.

“Jean-Claude Juncker said something that struck me before I even became prime minister. He said: “When we get elected, we all know what we have to do. We just don’t know how to get re-elected if we do what we have to do.” Well, if there is a lesson from Greek history, it is that my good friend was wrong. We were re-elected by doing exactly what was right, and the Greek people rewarded us for it,” concluded Mr. Mitsotakis.

The event was attended by powerful figures such as billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who honored Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.