The stoves in Zappeio had been lit since early afternoon. The weather, although it does not resemble autumn, becomes bitter when the sun goes down. In the first rows are already MPs from New Democracy, PaSoK and also SYRIZA. Everyone is waiting for the arrival of the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the Parliament and also the Prime Minister so that the conference for the strengthening of the Republic can begin.
The wells of MPs have already formed, among others Tasos Hatzivasileiou from ND, Theofilos Xanthopoulos from SYRIZA and Dimitris Manzos are discussing with their colleagues. All three have come to Zappeion from an early age.
The guests arrive slowly filling the Megaron. Among others are political leaders such as Nikos Androulakis and Zoe Konstantopoulou, while a chair separated her from Aphrodite Latinopoulou.
Flashes turn on and photographers run as soon as they notice the entrance of Alexis Tsipras. The former prime minister passes by and greets members of parliament, including George Papandreou, sitting in the front row. Next to him is Panagiotis Pikrammenos.
A few days earlier, when it was known that the protection of the two witnesses for the Novartis case had come, he had declared that “the tangle will begin to unravel so that we can see who are the real instigators of the case. Until yesterday the protected witnesses were on ordered duty, but others planned and instigated things.”
At exactly 6, as planned, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Konstantinos Tasoulas appear and sit in the first row.
The well-known journalist, Pavlos Tsimas coordinates the conference and invites the President of the Republic to the podium to address her speech.
“The occasion for this event is a double anniversary. This year we celebrate 50 years since the re-ratification of the ECHR by Greece, which solemnly marks the return of our country to a regime of democratic normality. It is also 75 years since the founding of the Council of Europe in 1949, a milestone year for the course and history of Europe”, notes Mrs. Sakellaropoulou.
“The European emblematic moment, to which we look back at our conference, was also Greek, as a founding act of the Postcolonialism” states the President of the Republic and adds that “the strengthening of democracy acquires existential importance in an era of upheavals and risks”.
Konstantinos Tasoulas makes a historical review making special reference to Aeschylus’ Agamemnon. Theodoros Roussopoulos talks about the Council of Europe, stressing that it is the vestibule for every country that wants to join the European Union, while underlining that Strasbourg, where the Council is based, is a symbol for the two world wars.
Immediately after, Marko Bošnjak, President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Koen Lenaerts, President of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and Yiannis Ktistakis, ECtHR Judge, take the floor.
Tomorrow the conference will continue. Of particular interest is the first part on the “Strengthening of Democracy by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: The Greek contribution”. Among others, Dora Bakoyannis, Alexis Tsipras, Giorgos Papandreou, Liana Kanelli and others participate in it.
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