Eleni Kounalaki in BIMA: “Democracy is at stake in these elections” – 2024-08-30 12:48:41

The Lieutenant Governor of California, Eleni Kounalakihas not handled Greek-American relations from any official position. But it has contributed to strengthening the ties between Athens and Washington. Usha is her personal friend Kamala HarrisKounalaki had convinced the American vice president to find the time to meet him Kyriakos Mitsotakis almost three years ago at the Munich Security Conference. Speaking to “Vima” during the Democratic Convention in Chicago, the expatriate politician expresses her satisfaction with how this initial contact developed, estimating that the bond that has now been created will be reflected in the bilateral relationship.

Are there systemic barriers for women in the US today, and how do you feel about the possibility of seeing the first female president?

“It’s an ongoing effort. No doubt Kamala Harris is fighting to break what we call the “highest ceiling” in politics. Hillary Clinton had caused millions of cracks, but now she depends on Kamala with the support of millions of people who believe in her. When barriers are broken, things change for the next generation. So we are very optimistic, but in this election there is a bigger stake. What is at stake is democracy and the possibility of having a White House that serves the people, that maintains rational thinking, decency and compliance with the rule of law.”

You mentioned that democracy is at stake. Do you consider Donald Trump a threat to democracy?

“It is a threat to American democracy. He clearly said he would like to be a dictator on day one. Plato had said that democracy is complicated. If there are problems that are difficult to solve, then someone very charismatic will come along and say “only I can fix them”. But what we saw when he was in power is that he did not fix anything. It did not solve the immigration issues. It did not solve unemployment. And it certainly did nothing for the workers and the people who get up every day trying to provide for their families. We have tested him. It was a failure. And now we must ensure that his demagoguery does not return, because that will be disastrous, not only for America but for the world.”

How politically active is the Greek-American community and how much does it support its members?

“The Greek-American community is very active and supports its candidates. I remember Nancy Pelosi telling me that when she traveled with members of Congress around the country and they introduced her to their key supporters, “you know, Helen, it’s funny but there was almost always a Greek in the room.” Although we Greek-Americans are not numerically a large community, we are in the foreground.”

What do you think is perhaps the biggest misconception that exists in Greece about the Greek-American lobby?

“The Greek-Americans at the level of personal relations have really given results to the bilateral relationship. We have seen this especially in recent years. The Greek community was close to President Biden. Biden visited Greece several times. He visited the (Ecumenical) Patriarchate and had close contacts with politicians and religious leaders, having understood the importance of Greece in the region, but also the history it has as one of the best and most reliable partners. I think this was shown by President Biden’s choice to send a Greek-American, George Tsounis, as ambassador to Athens. And I will say that I am very proud of the relationship that Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Mitsotakis have built over the last three and a half years. They have been together at international conferences and I know they already share a very close bond and a personal relationship that, when he wins the election, will be reflected in the bilateral relationship.”