President Sakellaropoulou's statement on the passing of Costas Simitis

The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, in a statement, bids farewell to Kostas Simitis with sadness and respect. At the same time, she expresses her sincere condolences to his family, stressing that he was one of the most important and multifaceted political personalities in modern history.

"His presence in the public life of Greece contributed decisively to the formation and continuation of a different political consciousness and culture in the Metapolitefsi period, with an emphasis on method, rationality, and commitment to the goal. With European social democracy and the current of modernisation as his constant, main reference, he envisioned, as Prime Minister, a Greece strong and equal in Europe. Greece's entry into the Eurozone and Cyprus' accession to Europe have been recorded as highlights for our national interests. The democratic ethos, the militancy, and the quiet dedication to the good of our state accompanied Costas Simitis throughout his life, in his resistance to the dictatorship, in his academic career, and in his great political career," Sakellaropoulou said.