Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is currently attending the 50th anniversary session of the Parliament on the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the Republic.

Watch live the speech of Mitsotakis

Minute by Minute: The Speech

The same message encompasses changes that also influence the behaviors of our citizens: ecological sensitivity, the progress of volunteerism, and the increasing role of individual responsibility.

I remind you that from now on, party programs must be costed by the General Accounting Office to avoid gratuitous promises.

Many of the doctrines of the post-dictatorship era proved to be scarecrows raised against progress. This is how I interpret the acceptance of proposals such as private universities, the aversion to lies, and the agreement on practical solutions beyond theoretical boundaries, with the division of citizens fading along with old-school politics.

This is the only way for Greece to be on a path of permanent growth.

Our present demands that we achieve quick dispensation of justice with legality everywhere, upgraded hospitals to support households with permanent increases, and education that supports schools and works to alleviate daily life.

Our goal is rapid European convergence. Now is the time for leaps forward. We seek this prospect today, drawing conclusions from yesterday. Just as the weak Balkan country of 1974 gradually transformed into a stable democracy, so too did the Greece of stagnation and division succeed in revitalizing its economy. By 2027, when we meet again at the polls, Greece will be much better than today. In the last phase, we achieved difficult and not obvious conquests.

These days, the thread of our national goals seems to be reconnecting because the Junta may have violently interrupted Greece’s attempt to overcome the civil war, while the memoranda put Greece into a labyrinth of regression.

This is a battle of reforms that Greece is fighting to rid itself of the brakes that held it back, from tax evasion and violence in stadiums to delays in justice.

Our goal is quick convergence with advanced European countries in terms of wages, institutions, and individual behaviors.

We risk self-referentiality and satisfaction with establishing Democracy to forget these failures.

Greece has progressed, but not as much as it should have and could have, as significant opportunities were lost. Often, EU funds were squandered on consumption. Necessary changes were often left incomplete. A state that many times succumbed to its own entanglements and governments that hesitated in the face of political cost.

The country reconnected with its culture and the spring of the 1960s, followed by the tastelessness of the Dictatorship.

Meanwhile, the economy developed, and with the help of Europe, critical infrastructures were built nationwide, family law was modernized, we ensured the integrity of nationwide exams, the meritocratic ASEP was established, and we joined the EMU and the euro.

Patriotism returned to its true dimensions after its brutal abuse by the Junta.

During this half-century, many changes occurred in our country with the contribution of many politicians. Parliamentarism was established with the achievement of parties alternating smoothly in power.

It is no coincidence that the 50 years of Democracy coincide with the 50 years of the New Democracy party. The party’s compass points only forward to serve the state’s interests.

This was the prelude to a plan with four pillars: political stability, unity, development, and European orientation.

Then, with acumen, the New Democracy party was founded, uniting even radical forces.

Karamanlis formed a government of national unity without letting any ideological blinders divert him from his goal. He legalized all parties, including the Communist Party, paving the way for Democracy.

I visited Cyprus to highlight how much harm the Dictatorship caused to Cyprus.

Konstantinos Karamanlis took responsibility for managing the Cyprus tragedy.

This period proves the resilience of a people who kept the ideals of democracy alive.

The post-dictatorship era is a milestone that marked the time.

The birthday of the third Greek Republic is not just an occasion for honor but for reflection on what remains to be done tomorrow.

Our polity is stronger than ever.

On this day of celebration for the return of Democracy to the land where it was born, I wanted to be in the place desecrated by the Dictatorship.

Democracy is the ultimate freedom of expression, even if what is said does not match the spirit of the day.