The award is given to three personalities from the fields of politics, spirit and business and is accompanied by a silver medal and 10,000 euros, which are paid to a foundation or organization of the awardee’s choice.
The former President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, the former Secretary of the US Treasury, Jack Lew, and the Executive Director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Klaus Regling, were recently awarded the international LORD BYRON Philhellenism Award of Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (EEF) for the year 2022, during the extraordinary festive meeting of the Academy of Athens.
The award is given to three personalities from the fields of politics, spirit and business and is accompanied by a silver medal and 10,000 euros, which are paid to a foundation or organization of the awardee’s choice.
This annual award has been created with the aim of promoting internationally the values ​​of Greek culture and enduring philhellenism as a virtue with a beneficial effect on the societies of the entire civilized world, as underlined by both the president of the Athens Academy, Antonios Regakos, and the president of the EEF , Konstantinos Velentzas, who referred to the work, action, activities and global influence of the Philhellenic Lord Byron, presenting the Award and announcing the awardees.
The medals and diplomas were presented to the honorees, on behalf of the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, by the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Ambassador Vasilios Papadopoulos, who also read the President’s speech.
In the speech, extensive reference was made to the “significant contribution” of all three personalities who were awarded, so that Greece overcomes the economic crisis, from the diagnosis of the economic problem to the management, but also to tilting the stigma of staying in the euro in favor of the country us. The action of everyone in their field, with professionalism and conscientiousness, was also highlighted. At the end, the ambassador Mr. Papadopoulos, reading the speech of Mrs. Sakellaropoulos, recalled the Greek saying that wants “a friend to be seen in difficult times”, immediately adding that the three awardees support and love Greece.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Angelos Syrigos, representing the Prime Minister, praised the work of the awardees, spoke of the necessary recognition of the valuable aid in order for Greece to stand on its own two feet and turned back to the past, to the first seeds of Greek influence on the planet, the movements and the philhellenic actions, reaching today. He even remembered the phrase that Mr. Juncker exclaimed, seeing the Parthenon, through the Acropolis Museum, during a visit to our country: “This is Europe.”
The Minister of Development and Investments, Adonis Georgiadis expressed the joy and honor of speaking about a man who shaped Europe and helped Greece, as he described the political course of the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, who has also received a classic education. To conclude, saying that “Mr. Europe” has associated his name with Greece. “As Greeks and Europeans, we say a big thank you to him,” he said, among other things.
The former president of the European Commission, in his objection, which was read by Luxembourg’s ambassador to Greece, Elisabeth Cardozo Jordao, spoke warmly of Greece and of his award, and declared that he felt happy. He spoke about the crisis that hit Greece, the actions to support and defend the Republic, but also about the respect for human dignity.
The Minister of State and Digital Governance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, addressing Mr. Lu, spoke about the award-winning former US Secretary of the Treasury, saying that he demonstrated support for our country in practice, and then referred to his professional and political career, noting that he helped in to realize that the impasses of the financial crisis period were not final. “A friend of Greece and the award rightfully belongs to him,” he said.
Mr. Lou in his objection, which was made online, recalled the moments when as Minister of Finance he met or talked with Greek politicians (he mentioned A. Samaras and Al. Tsipras), Obama’s visit to Greece, he noted the progress he has took place in Greece and spoke about the democracy that has remained unshaken and alive, in a strategic partner with values.
The Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, addressed the honored executive director of the European Stability Mechanism, Klaus Regling, talking about the history and importance of the ESM, for maintaining a strong euro and recalling Mr. Regling’s statements in which he defended the preservation of the of Greece in the Eurozone. This is an interlocutor who approached every topic “in good faith and creatively”, as he said.
Mr. Regling, who attended the event, recalled his first visit to Greece, in 1968, and said that he still feels today the same surprise and passion that he devoted to Europe, to the contribution to the preparation of the monetary union and its implementation , to keep the Eurozone intact, to safeguard financial stability.
The executive director of the EMS referred to today and shared, as he said, his vision for Europe and especially for the monetary union. He recalled being asked in July “if we will come out of the current crisis with a more resilient and more cohesive eurozone.” He believes that this is possible if all member states push through the necessary reforms, but with the progress made in completing the architecture of our economic and monetary union.
In addition, he referred to various proposals that have been put on the table by European leaders (of French President Emmanuel Macron), he said that measures during the economic crisis and solidarity measures after the pandemic are important – especially now that we are experiencing the economic consequences of invasion of Ukraine, spoke of a necessary deepening of the Union (e.g. banking union, etc.) in order to strengthen the resilience of the Union and create a harmonized market.
Mr. Regling spoke, finally, about European solidarity in Greece, about the reforms made to get out of the crisis, to avoid grexit, and, he said that, today, Greece is “stronger”, as well Europe, and, at this moment, Greece is “heading towards strengthening its prosperity”, as he characteristically said, concluding his dissent.
After the ceremony, a guided tour of the exhibition “Stories of Freedom – the Academy of Athens honors 1821” took place.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
