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I would say we are a friend in need and I am sure that the Greek people would very much welcome the choice of the British people to come and enjoy Greece, first of all, but also that would be a sign of support.

George Papandreou

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George Papandreou
Age: 72
Born: 1952
Born: June 16
Diplomat
Former Prime Minister Of Greece
Politician
Sociologist
St Paul
Minnesota
George Andreas Papandreou
First
Support
Needs
Choices
Greece
Much
Sure
Greek
Would
Enjoy
Welcome
People
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Sign
Firsts
British
Come
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Need
Friend

More quotes by George Papandreou

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Despite the deep reforms we are making, traders and speculators have forced interest rates on Greek bonds to record highs.
George Papandreou
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How can a parliamentarian or a leader in a country say, on the one hand, that we're going to support Greece but at the same time say that Greeks are lazy?
George Papandreou
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My hope is that we will turn Greece into maybe the most transparent country in the world with everything on the web.
George Papandreou
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This idea that you're a successful tough guy if you evade taxes and deceive the state has got to change.
George Papandreou
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At times of distress, we all like to recall the advice of fathers and mothers. The best advice my father gave me was to keep faith and deep confidence in the potential of the Greek people nurture the belief that they can do things.
George Papandreou
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The structures in Europe in a globalising economy need to be modernised, need to be more integrated, need to be stronger.
George Papandreou
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Greece has great strengths, but much of this potential has been wasted. That's because of a wider political system, but also because of a lack of an institutional framework.
George Papandreou
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If we were going to default, we would have decided that many months ago. It would be wrong for the Greek economy, it would be wrong for the European economy, it would make things worse in the end. That's why we're taking the pain and making these structural reforms, and we're on target.
George Papandreou
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People would say you look weak if you're not cursing the opposition and driving around in a big black car while always wearing a tie. Above all, to be 'strong' you're always supposed to be giving orders.
George Papandreou
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Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises.
George Papandreou
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The real problem in Greece is not cutting taxes, it's making sure that we don't have tax evasion.
George Papandreou
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We have made major reforms in Greece. When I took over after a landslide victory we had a mandate for change and I knew my major focus would be re-organizing the state.
George Papandreou
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I have been supporting the European Union, but we are still a work in progress. We have to become more of a United States of Europe. We should talk about electing a president of the E.U., rather than having one selected from the heads of government.
George Papandreou
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If Greece had gone through a very normal political life, I may have not been in politics. But just the fact that I lived through huge upheavals and very difficult struggles and polarization and the barbarism of dictatorships - that made me feel that we had to change this country.
George Papandreou
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I would like to see Greece as a case study, an opportunity for Europe to strengthen its coordination of fiscal policy.
George Papandreou
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Many people have been pontificating, and patronizing, and moralizing, and scapegoating, saying you Greeks, you are the problem. I would say we Greeks have a problem. We are not the problem.
George Papandreou
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This is global governance in the making. But we must agree, and agree to a binding commitment.
George Papandreou
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I have always said I will be in politics to serve as best as I can and it will take me wherever it will take me.
George Papandreou
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In ancient Greece, politics and the market were not decoupled.
George Papandreou
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The more there is a European solution to a theoretical, but possible, problem in the markets, the less we will have to talk about an I.M.F. solution.
George Papandreou