Explore Quotes by George Papandreou

Previous governments, particularly the one before I took over, mismanaged the economy quite badly.

I will always be upfront with the Greek people, so we can solve the country's problems together.

Europe has a lot of strength. We need to pool that strength, and I am very much in favour of that - more of a deeper political union.

If we had a consensus we wouldn't have to go to a referendum.

Politics also means educating people. It's important to speak openly with our fellow Greeks, to tell them what our problems are and that we have to change something.

It is important that the Greek people make decisions on important developments.

This idea that you're a successful tough guy if you evade taxes and deceive the state has got to change.

Greece's history in the drachma was an up-and-down history, a roller coaster.

I think there is a heritage which I'm proud of, which is a fight for democracy, a fight for social justice, a fight for freedom. My grandfather went to jail or exile six times in his life, fighting for his principles for democracy, or for his country. And my father twice.

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.

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.

We stand united, facing the big responsibility to change our country into a nation of justice, solidarity, humanity and green development.

There is this concept of politics as a dirty game.

This is global governance in the making. But we must agree, and agree to a binding commitment.

In ancient Greece, politics and the market were not decoupled.

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.

There is this concept of politics as a dirty game. It's a difficult game, but it doesn't have to be dirty. I think this is what we need to bring to politics. I think politics around the world has very often been captured by big interests - 'lobbies' they call them in the States.

Countries are not like financial markets. Social change cannot be executed as swiftly as credit-default swaps. You cannot sell short on social commitments and practical responsibilities.

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.

I would like to see Greece as a case study, an opportunity for Europe to strengthen its coordination of fiscal policy.

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.