With a text posted on the internet by Michalis Chrysochoidis says goodbye to his former prime minister and “mentor” in politics, as he says, Kostas Simitisfor whom he emphasizes that “his tenure was one of the most important stations in our recent national journey”.

The Minister of Citizen Protection refers with respect to the work of K. Simitis, but also in their relationship that led to his placement in the Ministry of Public Order, with the mandate to deal with terrorism and the dislocation of November 17.

“Kostas Simitis is my political conscience that I cultivated, grafted on with his example… Our commitment, as an honor to his memory, is the continuous struggle for a strong Greece, with modern democratic governance and social justice”, underlines the Minister.

The entire post of Mr. Chrysochoidis is the following:

“I, along with all Greeks, say goodbye to Costas Simitis, the Prime Minister of Greece, whose tenure was one of the most important milestones in our recent national journey.

Kostas Simitis, with his political and personal attitude, formulated a special example of a politician who set national goals and achieved them. With unparalleled stubbornness, with an almost obsessive adherence to the values ​​and principles, which were the pillars of his policy, he raised as a flag the modernization of the country, the strengthening of its power and its full integration into European integration. Euro, Cyprus, major projects put Greece in the 21st century. Quite rightly, he is placed among the historical leaders of the country.

My relationship with Kostas Simitis is experiential. It was forged through the practice of politics. It was fueled by the constant application of his political example and thus I embraced a way of working characterized by dedication, commitment, an unyielding attitude towards the achievement of the goal.

I was taught politics with him. A few years before joining the EMU and the Euro, the minister Kostas Simitis drafted important legislation concerning the regulation of competition, the liberalization of markets, consumer protection and many other institutional measures that formed the basis of the operation of the market and the economy. And at the same time, every week he “examined” me as to whether the struggle for the de-escalation of inflation, which was a national goal and a prerequisite for our inclusion in the EMU, was paying off. As a young politician at the time, I rebuked the representatives of the workers and the market players who were pressing for their demands. But he constantly brought me back to class by insisting that achieving the goal would benefit them first.

Indeed, he was vindicated when, in the year 2000, the country had fulfilled the prerequisites for its entry into perhaps the most historic phase of its European integration.

I followed his political example and when suddenly with a phone call from him I was placed in the Ministry of Public Order, inviting me to work for the dismantling of 17N. It was a shocking test for me when, a few weeks after taking up my duties, and while I was trying to understand the essence of the affairs of the ministry, he asked me in a completely serious and almost stern tone to deal with terrorism.

In each of our meetings with the same style of the man and prime minister who had an absolute sense of his responsibility, he rejected, in a vertical way, the various theories that I tried to repeat about the origin and actions of the members of 17N. So, very quickly I realized that with Simitis, words were not enough, that I had to work with a plan, with in-depth research and finally follow a model of politics that was none other than his own methodical, hard and persistent work. This is how we reached the much desired result after 27 whole years of weakness of the Greek state.

Kostas Simitis is a big part of my life. It is my political consciousness that I cultivated, grafted with his example. However, he is also a part of my soul, of my feelings, because his presence on my journey was shocking, which eventually developed into mutual love and trust. His legacies are here present, alive and are the basic components of the nation’s course. Our commitment, as an honor to his memory, is the continuous struggle for a strong Greece, with modern democratic governance and social justice.”