Friday, 24 June 2022
Post by Evangelos Venizelos
History as a woman - Can the unthinkable decision on abortions save American democracy and work as a catalyst for the war in Ukraine?
On 4.5.2022, on the occasion of the leak of the draft of the US Supreme Court decision on abortions, I had written a comment*. Unfortunately, the draft was accurate and was officially published today as a decision.
This is a historical reversal. A tragic regression that will further divide the already divided American society and will have a catalytic effect on political developments in American democracy. There is the chance that -at a great cost to rights protection- the decision might ultimately affect the political orientation of the US in a positive manner. An interesting heterogeneity of purposes may occur.
July 11, 2020
Evangelos Venizelos about Hagia Sophia
The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque symbolizes, in a most extreme way, President Erdogan's strategic choice to place Turkey outside the West. Not just outside the bounds of Western legal and political culture, but outside the bounds of the West as a historical and strategic entity.
Up to this point, Turkey had been supporting an ambiguous position, claiming its “exceptionalism” and its uniqueness in relation to the West, but it also wanted to highlight its position as a member of NATO, to claim a form of relationship with the EU, to place great importance in its relationship with the USA and especially with the style of Mr. Trump.
Athens, 27 October 2016
Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement answering questions regarding the information about the decision of the Plenary of the Council of State on the unconstitutionality of the statute regarding the television licenses and the government’s response to it:
The response of the government to the journalists’ information on the outcome of the Council of State’s meeting was institutionally shameful, overbearingly stubborn and politically suicidal.
Τhe statement read by the Government Spokesperson in a "revolutionary" way constitutes an official announcement of the violation of the Constitution.
Mr. Tsipras thought that he could bypass the decision of the Council of State with a newer statute and infringe the Constitution. He ought to wait for the publication of the decision, he ought to read it carefully and to fully abide to it, as provided by art. 95 of the Constitution.
The government that signed the third memorandum and begs for a fourth one accuses the Council of State for finding the memorandum constitutional!
Athens, 8 July 2015
Evangelos Venizelos’ statement on the results of the Summit:
Mr. Tsipras has caused a referendum to be held in order to ward off an ultimatum, while the European institutions were saying that the proposal documents were still under negotiation and the second program was still in force.
The “No” vote requested by Mr. Tsipras achieved a 61%, was interpreted in the joint announcement by the parliamentary party leaders as a mandate for negotiations and not as a command for a breach.
Mr. Tsipras returned to Brussels and was unfortunately given a real ultimatum that has to be initially answered until Thursday and finally untilSunday.
Moreover, the first time the European leaders have unfortunately chosen to speak openly about the possible exit of Greece from the eurozone, a possibility that legally activates, in accordance with the Treaties, the institutional scenario of a -at least- temporary exit, even from the European Union. Hence the convening of the European Council of the 28 member states, and not just that of the 19, on Sunday.
The fact that on a business day, with the marketsbeing open, European leaders have explicitly mentioned a Grexit scenario, unfortunately means that they require that markets calculate and thus absorb a potential Grexit before Sunday. It is obvious that the ECB has been prepared to take thenecessary defensive measures.
Athens, 1 July 2015
Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement referring to today’s “address” and yesterday’s letter by Mr. Tsipras to the heads of the Eurogroup, the Commission, the ECB and the IMF:
After having led the country to the brink of dissolution, after having deprived the country of the shield that is the EFSF programme, and the support of the ECB, after having issued a legislative act for the closure of banks and capital controls, after having sent the Greek men and women to form queues before ATMs, Mr. Tsipras continues the dumb-cunning communicative games. He is not up to the occasion.
Instead of boldly declaring that he will convene the Parliament in order to withdraw the referendum to seek reliable immediate resumption of the negotiations, he sends letters, with the only purpose being, unfortunately, to be able to say that he made several attempts, but the European institutions are intransigent. Each and every day, he makes an address, affirming his belief in Europe, while at the same time he pushes the country to the exit of the eurozone.
He is panicked by the reaction of the society, but refuses to respect the national interest.
He does not respect the democratic institutions either, since in his letters he admits that the question of the referendum is a spurious one in any case. He has already turned Greece into an object of concern for the Council of Europe, which sees violations of the institutional guarantees for free and genuine expression of the popular will in the referendum.
Athens, June 27, 2015
Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement:
The political fraud is evolving now in a coup that degrades democratic processes, that poses an immediate risk to the European course of the country and threatens the historical acquis.
It is proven, in the most brutal way, that the Tsipras/Kammenos government never negotiated. They have squandered six valuable months, aggravated all sizes of the economy, weakened the position of the country and deliberately exposed it to the extreme claims of the creditors, having in mind -from the start- the violation of the referendum process.
Now, just three days before the expiry of the extension of the program, with banks in a critical state, each day awaiting the ELA aid, with the country under direct threat of a disorderly bankruptcy, Mr. Tsipras thinks he is evading responsibility by organizing a caricature referendum in violation of the Constitution.
Mr. Tsipras and those with him do not take anything into account and do not regret anything; neither the sacrifices of the people who want the country to stay in the eurozone, nor the national damage caused by playing with things he should not play with.
The referendum on a crucial national issue, when the issue is directly and primarily financial, is contrary to Article 44, para. 2 of the Constitution.
Αthens, 23 June 2015
Answering a journalist's question on the developments in the negotiations, Ev. Venizelos said:
The relief we feel, because the country avoids the destruction which its government threatened it with -five years after 2010- cannot hide the fact that we have reached this point in the worst possible way.
The lost five-month period has vastly raised the bill.
The Greek people are called upon to be submitted to recession measures. As I have said, the Hardouvelis email seems like child’s play compared to the list of measures agreed by Mr. Tsipras’ government. And we are still not finished.
It should be understood that the only solution to the debt is to follow in the footsteps of 2012. The government is finally obliged to admit a historical truth that it has slandered and concealed.
We wish for a growth package to be received, but these are Community and national funds that exist and which the government has abandoned in the last five months.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos statement at the doorstep, just before the Eurogroup meeting, Thursday, March 1, 2012:
After the decisions of the last Eurogroup for the adoption of the new support program of the Greek economy and the official launch of PSI, we are waiting for the response of the market.
As you know, the concrete form of the bond exchange is agreed with the private sector and everybody understands very well that we have four very important and attractive elements:
The Co-financing, the English law, the sweetener in cash and the GDP warrants. This is a very good, a unique offer. I am sure that the market understands very well how clear is my message. 
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Upon his arrival at the doorstep of the Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mr. Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement:
In Greece we have all the necessary conditions in order to go ahead with the next disbursement, the new program and the PSI. We have the necessary political consensus, we have the necessary national unity and also the national commitment and determination to go ahead.
We are also ready to contribute in this very important discussion for the future of the Eurozone, for a strong Eurozone which is capable to react and send very clear messages to the markets.
Monday 7 November 2011
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Greece, Mr. Evangelos Venizelos, stated the following after the conclusion of today’s Eurogroup Summit session:
The Eurogroup warmly welcomed the recent political developments in Greece, especially the decision of the two biggest political parties to support a government whose mission will be to implement the decision of October 26.
Today’s Eurogroup session shows that the Euro Area in its entirety is ready to implement the decision of October 26, starting from the timely disbursement of the sixth tranche, provided that the new government and the political forces that support it confirm, in writing also, the country’s commitments that are linked to the decision of the EU Council Summit of October 26. Immediately afterwards, the Troika will come to Athens for the necessary consultations that lead to the new programme.
At the same time, the Eurogroup decided to go ahead, starting now, with all the processes that are linked to the participation of the private sector (PSI) in the new framework of the Greek sovereign debt’s sustainability, with its reduction by 100 billion euro, which equals to 50 percentage points of GDP.
