Greece celebrates 40 years since EU accession

Marking the 40th anniversary of Greece’s accession to the European family – then the European Economic Community (EEC) – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed Thursday that “Europe is much more than a fund, it is a common concept for life.” In a ceremony at Zappeion Hall attended by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President David Sassoli, Mitsotakis referred to the tumultuous period in 2015, noting that “we had an unpleasant interlude, divisive populism prevailed and Greece found itself one step before the cliff.” But progressive forces resisted and demagoguery was crushed, he added, while Sakellaropoulou noted that “the European project is not static. It is by nature alive and constantly evolving.” [ANA-MPA]