The late Costas Simitis, who spearheaded Greece’s adoption of the euro and its alignment with European Union policies as prime minister of the socialist PASOK government from 1996 to 2004, was honored at the Delphi Economic Forum on Wednesday.
Marilena Simiti, one of Simitis’ two daughters and a professor of political sociology at the University of Piraeus, participated in a panel discussion held as a tribute to her father, who passed away in January at the age of 88.
“He was a man of action, focused on both objectives and outcomes,” she said of her father, adding that he “identified with social democratic politics and believed that Greece’s strength lies in Europe.”
Also joining the panel, Anna Diamantopoulou, a former PASOK minister and former European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, praised Simitis as a Greek leader who left a lasting legacy and a strong mark on the country’s development. She remarked that Simitis would be remembered in Greek history for his ideas and the modernization of PASOK. Simitis became the leader of PASOK in 1996, succeeding Andreas Papandreou as both party leader and prime minister.
Acknowledging Simitis as her mentor, Diamantopoulou described him as a courteous and mild-mannered individual who never used offensive language or engaged in personal attacks, emphasizing his deep commitment to democracy.
Evangelos Venizelos, an academic who served as deputy prime minister with PASOK from 2011 to 2015, highlighted that Simitis stayed true to his political convictions with consistency and clarity. He called him the “second founder of PASOK” and the leader of the party’s Western-oriented, modernizing wing.
The current conservative New Democracy government’s Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, who comes from PASOK and served as Minister of Public Order under Simitis from 1999 to 2003, spoke about the “Simitis school of thought,” which he described as being “based on daily progress.” Chrysochoidis emphasized, “Under Simitis, our country made progress through rules, method, hard work, and results.”
Journalist Giannis Pretenteris, editor of the Greek weekly To Vima, also participated in the tribute.