The view that as a former prime minister he intervenes when he judges that it is “necessary“, especially in “critical national issues” expressed the Alexis Tsipras during the discussion he had with the director of the newspaper “To Vima”, Pericles Dimitrolopoulos in the context of the conference he is organizing for the 50 years of Greek Foreign Policy.

“Retiring from active duty doesn’t mean you have to sit mute and silent. I don’t understand the former prime minister’s position that way”characteristically said Mr. Tsipras, while in a humorous mood, also stated that “I did not decide to retire to a monastery.” “I intervene without pretending to be on the front line. I have the luxury of stepping in when I see fit.”

“The Four Wounds of Postcolonialism”

As he mentioned, Post-colonization “he found us with three major wounds and one more added with the end of the Cold War”: the country’s dependence on foreign powers in foreign policy, the Cyprus tragedy and the tension in Greek-Turkish relations. As a “fourth plague” he characterized the appearance of one “newly formed state” on the northern border with “redemptive moods”.

Therefore, he said, the “main positive moments” of the country’s foreign policy in the intervening 50 years concern the efforts that succeeded in “healing” some of these wounds. Specifically, he referred to the country’s accession to the EEC, the accession of Cyprus to the EU and the Prespa Agreement that ended a long-standing dispute.

The comment about Antonis Samaras

Invited to comment on it review that was put to him for the Prespa Agreement, he emphasized that “at some point we should be able to oppose each other without conditions that remain as wounds in political life”.

At this point he also referred to Antonis Samaras: “Mr. Mitsotakis, he was hand-in-hand with Mr. Samaras in this sharp and populist stance,” he said of the criticism leveled at him for the Prespa Agreement.

Invoking the phrase that “patriotism is the refuge of fraudsters” that the ND uses for Mr. Samaras, adopted the saying of Charilaos Florakis “when you pee in the sea you find it in the salt». “That’s how Mr. Mitsotakis with Mr. Samara“, he commented.

As for the international developmentsrepeated his position that “two perceptions collide” about the role that Greece should have, one that the country should be “pillar of stability and security” and the other that he will win the favor of the West towards Turkey, if he plays the role of “advanced outpost”.

A “an active multidimensional foreign policy is confirmed by developments to have many benefits, while the other holds risks”, he characteristically said, while underlining that it is a mistake to ignore the usefulness that Turkey has for the West, as well as the latest developments proved that “its role is being upgraded”.

“To define a strategy for Turkey”

Especially for her Turkeyhe emphasized that “we have to define a strategy aimed at growing the country”, in terms of territorial waters, ensuring, however, at the same time “peace and stability”. The main tool, he said, is the appeal to The Hague, but with “red lines»: “The issue of territorial sovereignty of the islands”, “the issue of the security of the islands”, excluding demilitarization and emphasizing the “unity of the Aegean space”, that is, that “one of the islands cannot be surrounded by a Turkish continental shelf”.

In this context, criticized the governmentcommenting on the fact that “recently, the exploratory proceedings have been suspended and negotiations are taking place only between ministers”, while he proposed as a basic strategy the “linking the Turkey-EU customs union revision discussion to the Hague appeal”but also the extension of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles “where possible”.

On the question of electing a new one President of the Republicaccused the government of “trivialization of the institution” as it does not explain why the current President does not continue in a second term, while at the same time reducing the necessary number of votes to 120, defying the “special symbolism” that the office of the President has.

Regarding developments in the progressive field, he emphasized the need for both the country and the political system to have “serious and organized opposition» and noted that the issue is not “resolder” but in the first phase the “consensus at the parliamentary and programmatic level” in order to have an “alternative governance proposal”.

The “nail” for the Kasselakis party

Asked about it Democracy Movement of Stefanou Kasselakisthe former president of SYRIZA, commented that “I did not have her in mind Patriotic Left».

“It’s not about re-welding pieces, it’s about solving the problem. There is an unprecedented imbalance. The problem is that there is no opposition. Even for the ruling party it is a problem. We will start from the need for understanding between the fragmented forces” continue.

The spikes for Androulakis

He also commented on the meeting of the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis, with the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, saying that:

“I am not happy with the image of the prime minister with the new leader of the official opposition that with the consents, the country moves forward. The country is moving forward even with the conflicts. The opposition matters. Opposition serious, composed, strong, thorough” he emphasized regarding the recent meeting between Mitsotakis and Androulakis.

And he went on to say that: “progressives to answer what happens the next day. His statement was corrected by Mr. Androulakis, but it’s not enough to exorcise something that will come as a self-fulfilling prophecy if you don’t go in a different direction.”