Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke of a wonderful songwriter, a sensitive Greek and a responsible citizen in his statement on the death of Dionysis Savvopoulos.

Here is the Prime Minister’s full statement:

“I don’t want to believe it but our Dionysus is no longer here. With the parting happening as he himself had sung: “I’m not here.” The others were “beating the air”. And to begin, thus, calmly his journey towards a “wide sea”…

Savvopoulos left, leaving a strong imprint on music, lyrics, and public style. Because with his work and his attitude he proved that he was a wonderful songwriter. A sensitive Greek. And a responsible citizen.

He honored me with his friendship. And through her I was able to meet a gentle figure who had a unique gift: to watch the changing seasons. And, at the same time, to change himself. Keeping only its authenticity.

His latest book about his own life exudes this authenticity. A documentary about Greece of the last decades that narrates it with the same vitality, but also directness that his words and notes had.

Dionysis Savvopoulos will not sing to us, this year, that “this winter, if we skip it for another ten years, we will not clean it”. His hoarse voice, however, will accompany us forever. Enriching our hearts and minds.

I say goodbye to him with pain, thinking of his beloved Aspa and their two sons, Cornelius and Romanos. His natural succession is undertaken by his grandsons Dionysis and Andreas. And all of us, preserving his bright memory.