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When I was growing up in the United States and Sweden, I never thought about becoming a politician.

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
Never
Sweden
Politician
Becoming
Growing
United
Thought
States

More quotes by George Papandreou

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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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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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Markets are saying pretty much what I'm saying too: that Greece is doing what it can, but that Greece is not going to be able to carry the weight of all of Europe and the other problems that Europe has.
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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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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In ancient Greece, politics and the market were not decoupled.
George Papandreou
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Today I want to send a message of optismism to all Greeks. Our road, our path, will be more stabilised. Our country will be in a better situation. We will be stronger.
George Papandreou
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But sovereign debt is a wider question not only in Europe but across the globe. While every country is a unique case, I think it's not an issue of countries acting on their own. We need a more coordinated strategy not only in Europe but around the world.
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 never thought of politics as a profession.
George Papandreou
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I will always be upfront with the Greek people, so we can solve the country's problems together.
George Papandreou
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It is important that the Greek people make decisions on important developments.
George Papandreou
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Greece's history in the drachma was an up-and-down history, a roller coaster.
George Papandreou
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An elected government making huge changes with the consent of its people, is being undermined by concentrated powers in unregulated markets-powers which go beyond those of any individual government.
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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The Marshall Plan was after destruction, and the U.S. came to our help and obviously this was very, very important for the future of Europe. I think now we have all the capabilities of doing it on our own and, in a sense, we have to.
George Papandreou
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We had about 60 regions in Greece and now there are only 13. It'd be like cutting down 50 states to 13 and making it more efficient.
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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Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises.
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