Event “25 Years later: Effort and Integration in EMU in 2000” was organized by the PASOK Institute

By Despina Vlepaki

The whole modernizing PASOK made an appointment Monday night at ESIEA at a workshop organized by the Insocial Institute for 25 years since Greece’s accession to EMU.

The events of the period “illuminated” the events while the PASOK President also addressed the greeting. Nikos Androulakis. In the first rows Anna Diamantopoulou, Milena Apostolaki, Pavlos Christidis Kostas Tsoukalas, Andreas Spyropoulos, Nikos Bosdoganis and Hara Kefalidou.

The event “25 years later: attempt and integration into EMU in 2000” was opened by Nikos Androulakis.

“25 years after the decision to join the euro, we have a duty to re -inspire the Greek people, with a deeply social and progressive vision that will raise our national confidence and optimism. PASOK is ready to stand responsibly at the height of these historical circumstances. Because things don’t go back. We have to look ahead, without obsessions by putting the real data on the table that unfortunately makes it difficult for both our economy and our geopolitical position. “the PASOK president noted.

Then Loukas Papadimos, Alekos Papadopoulos, Yiannis Stournaras and Nikos Christodoulakis They developed the milestones and strategy with which Greece conquered the national goal of entering EMU, when it seemed impossible. However, all four speakers had one common place when they ended up today, the need for reforms that remains timely.

As Loukas Papadimos, former prime minister said “Greece’s accession to the European Union and EMU has reinforced the country’s economic and geopolitical position and have formed fundamental conditions necessary but not capable of its successful participation in its growth and prosperity in the rapidly evolving global technological and economic transformation. We need to take advantage of the favorable conditions derived from our participation in EMU and implement the appropriate national policy and to implement the reforms needed to shape the capable conditions of achieving strong and manageable development and improve social well -being and cohesion. “noted Mr. Papadimos.

“The value of Greece’s integration into the euro area appeared when the institutions and governments of the eurozone member states intervened to prevent Greece from bankruptcy.”The Bank of Greece Governor Yiannis Stournaras pointed out at the same event.

The BoG Governor referred to milestones in the process of integrating Greece into the euro area (a revised 1994 convergence program, 1997 budget, drachma integration into the exchange rate mechanism with 12.13% in 1998, the evaluation of the Greek request and the decision of the European Council of the European Council. 1/1/2001) and stressed that “Greece’s accession to the euro area is the biggest achievement in the country’s modern economic history.”

Referring to the conclusions drawn from this course, the BoG commander argued that the success of the venture is largely due to the “Absolute political coverage provided by Prime Minister Costas Simitis to the government’s financial staff.”

For his part, former Minister Alekos Papadopoulos noted that today “The demand for reforms and modernization must come back. It is a matter of survival. The reforms to become prerequisites. The basic requirement is to believe them and design them well. In this case we have to start from where the country hurts. Reforms must be made to the state and political system ‘, Alekos Papadopoulos mentioned.

In Soicial’s leader and former Minister Nikos Christodoulakis noted that with EMU integration: “In short, Greece had” nestled “in a larger and safer regional composition, which protected her from new and difficult upsetting that critical two years. It is precisely the feeling that Greece can now stand up to international crises, “Mr. Christodoulakis stressed.

The event was coordinated by Antonis Karakousis and presented the Maria Arabatzis.