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Our News
Wednesday, 14 March 2018
EPLO Invites The Presidents Of The Republics Of Greece & Portugal To Discuss Europe And Its Future
An event on the “Origins and the Future of Europe” was organized yesterday, March 14, 2018 by the EPLO at the Hellenic Presidential Mansion with key speakers H.E. The President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, and H.E. The President of the Portuguese Republic, Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Professor Spyridon Flogaitis, Director of the EPLO, during his welcome remarks extended his appreciation to the President of the Hellenic Republic for the co-hosting of this event and to both Presidents for their beneficial contribution to the EPLO.
The President of the Ηellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, started His speech by thanking Professor S. Flogaitis and the European Public Law Organization on the initiative, emphasizing that thanks to this initiative we have the opportunity to delve into one of the most important aspects of intellect that is relevant not only to Greece but to the entire European family.” He also added: “...I truly and generally wish that the EPLO will always exist and succeed just as it deserves. We all know very well that the EPLO is highly appreciated beyond Greece and indeed I hope and wish that the Greek State be in a position to fully appreciate the importance and the relevance of this Organization”.
President Pavlopoulos also referred to the urgent need for the completion of the process of European integration. He stated that we are all worried about the future of Europe and explained: “I refer to ‘concern’, not ‘skepticism’. This is because we have never questioned - and we are not going to do it now, nor in the future – not even at least, the course of the creation of the European edifice. On the contrary, we share a common urge for the completion of its integration, especially in the face of today's challenges and the dangerous phenomena of populism that attempt to undermine the foundations of the European edifice and may provoke its collapse.”
President Pavlopoulos stressed that Europe must move forward, otherwise it will face the risk of dismantling and referred to the vision of a unified Europe: “First of all, I must point out that, especially today, we are behind the goals set by the ‘Fathers’ of the European idea, which envisioned it as a ‘defensive fortress’ against the woes of the Second World War, so that Humanity would never have to live again such a nightmare. We envision European Integration as the creation of a federation-type of European Union ... We need to invent a new type of federation based on the institutional and political trusses of the Representative Democracy ... The European Union’s mission goes beyond its people and acquires global dimensions, when it comes to defending the fundamental principles of Peace, Humanity, Democracy, Justice, and in particular Social Justice.”
H.E. The President of the Portuguese Republic, Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa agreed with the need for a unified Europe, but disagreed with His Greek counterpart on the notion of a “European federation”. He said: “Let the political and economic consolidations proceed”, he said, “but there is no need for naming this a federation as it will add another point of difference to those that already exist”. President de Sousa referred during His speech to the citizen of Europe and stressed that in order to respond to his/her needs, jobs should be created. He also agreed on the need for the strengthening of the social state and solidarity between Member States.
The event was attended by many distinguished members of the Greek political and public life, Ambassadors, the Portuguese delegation, the Vice President of The Hellenic Parliament as well as MPs, Representatives of the Greek political parties, Members of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and of the Cabinet of the Head of the Opposition, the President of the Supreme Court of Greece, the Legal Counselor of the Prime Minister, various Ministers, the Governor of the Region of Attica, high-ranking members of the judiciary and academia but also students enrolled at the European Law and Governance School of the EPLO.
