“We honor those who gave their lives for the integration of Macedonia into the national body”, said the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou
Messages of national unity and honor to the struggles of the Greeks were sent by the state and political leadership of the country after the official eulogy at the Holy Church of Agios Demetrius, Patron Saint of Thessaloniki, on the day of the double celebration of the city.
“Thessaloniki celebrates today its patron saint, Agios Dimitrios, and with it the anniversary of its liberation from the Ottoman yoke. On this day, all Greeks, with faith in the timeless values of our long history, honor those who gave their lives for the integration of Macedonia into the national body. Their memory is a source of inspiration and pride. Happy birthday!”, said the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
A message for today’s celebration was also sent by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, responsible for Macedonia-Thrace issues, Kostas Giulekas. “Today, our Thessaloniki and homeland is celebrating. With the struggles of 1912-1913 Greece grew and with the integration of Thrace it took its current form. Those who fought with their sacrifices and blood bequeathed to us the most precious thing there is, our freedom and we must show ourselves worthy and this freedom to preserve it. For this and for us it is an absolute priority to constantly increase the strength of the homeland through treaties, alliances, upgrading the armed forces of our country precisely to be able to guarantee our national sovereignty and sovereign rights, peace and security of the Greek people. Happy birthday and for the great feast of Saint Demetrius”.
The President of the Parliament was represented in today’s eulogy by the Secretary General of the New Democracy Parliamentary Group, Member of Parliament for Thessaloniki, Stavros Kalafatiswho emphasized in his statements: “Today we celebrate the patron saint of our city, Agios Dimitrios, and we honor those who gave freedom to our country, drawing strength from their example. At the same time, we strengthen the voice of the motherland towards those allies, partners, neighbors who must listen to it. At the same time, we are strengthening our presence by continuing to resolutely make Greece stronger.”
Present at the official eulogy of I.N. Agios Dimitrios was also the president of PASOK-KINAL, Nikos Androulakiswho is in Thessaloniki, making a three-day visit. Mr. Androulakis said: “The patron saint of the city, Agios Dimitrios, is celebrating today and I want to wish a happy birthday to all the people of Thessaloniki and to all those celebrating. But today we also celebrate the day of liberation of the city from the Turkish yoke. And we have a duty to reflect, as in every such historical milestone, how to make our country stronger against those who seek our national interests. How to make our country fairer, reducing inequalities, laying the foundations of our collective prosperity, making our country more resilient in the face of challenges and international upheavals such as the climate crisis. We have a duty to protect our people from all adverse effects.
The Hellenic Solution MEP and representative of the Hellenic Solution, Emmanuel Frankoscriticized the current foreign policy of the country saying that “the struggles that the Greeks won with their blood cannot be betrayed. Let those who are willing know this, that if they dare to do something like this, they will find all of us against them.”
The president of “Niki” Dimitris Natsios he pointed out: “Big day today for Thessaloniki. It celebrates its patron, the great martyr Saint Demetrius of Myroblytis, model of courage, model of Christ’s faith. They are what we want today. On this day the glorious, heroic Greek army, a miracle of Saint Demetrius, entered Thessaloniki, liberated it, liberated Macedonia, saved Greece”.
The president of the Spartans Vasilis Stigaswished the city a happy birthday and pointed out that historical struggles show that when we are united we can win over internal and external enemies.
The MEP and president of the “Voice of Reason” party sent wishes for the celebrants from Thessaloniki. Aphrodite Latinopoulou.
“Today is the day of Thessaloniki that celebrates its patron saint and the liberation of the city, our thoughts inevitably go to the struggles of our ancestors. It goes as it will in the future,” said the regional governor of central Macedonia and candidate for EU commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, adding that projects have been and are being carried out in the region to improve the everyday life of the citizens and for Thessaloniki and our Macedonia to be at the forefront of Greece and Europe.
In her eulogy Holy Metropolis of Agios Dimitrios in Thessalonikithe former president of SYRIZA also attended Stefanos Kasselakis. After the end of the eulogy, speaking to the media, he first wished “a happy birthday to the City and to those celebrating today”. He then said: “Let’s hope this city takes the place it deserves and becomes the capital of the Balkans. It is time for the plans that have been delayed for many decades to come to fruition, so that the children who grow up here can stay in Thessaloniki and Macedonia, and excel at the pan-European and international level. It’s in our hands. We are proud of our homeland, of Thessaloniki. It is up to us to make the residents’ lives better every day.”
“Thessaloniki deserves a bright future commensurate with its glorious past. It deserves to be the focus of the Balkans and Europe”, noted the MEP and SYRIZA-PS presidential candidate Nikos Farandouris.
The member of parliament and presidential candidate of SYRIZA-PS, Socrates Famous stated: “We celebrate and honor the patron Saint Demetrius, but also the liberation of our city in the Balkan Wars. On Monday we will commemorate the anniversary of “NO” and the heroic struggle in the Greek-Italian war, but also the liberation of Thessaloniki from the occupation of the Nazi regime. The lessons and responsibilities of these days are valuable for all Greek men and women. First of all for freedom, for peace, for life, but also for democracy. And today, when, unfortunately, the war is so close to show its teeth and threatens life and peace in the region, we have a responsibility to defend these values”.
“The brilliant celebration of liberation fills us with confidence and at the same time defines the next day, sending the message that with unity we can face anything and any threat. Thessaloniki is here, claiming the next day with dynamism and its new identity”, said the mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis.
Source: Skai
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