George Papandreou
George Papandreou
George Jeffrey Papandreou, commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Giorgosin Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2009 to 2011...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth16 June 1952
CitySaint Paul, MN
George Papandreou quotes about
previous took
Previous governments, particularly the one before I took over, mismanaged the economy quite badly.
taken opportunity europe
Greece has given Europe the opportunity to fix a defect in the euro zone, that is the fact that we did not have a fiscal union. Now steps have been taken to begin that process. And there is more solidarity from nation to nation, and that is a good thing. That has been Greece's gift to Europe.
spain prejudice would-be
If we were the problem, it would be very convenient - kick Greece out, everything's fine. What would happen to Spain, what about Portugal, what about Italy, what about the whole of the euro zone? We need more cooperation and less simplification and prejudice.
europe capacity
We in Europe have great capacities.
europe weight able
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.
choices-made moments certain
There are certain moments in the history of a nation when the choices made define the decades to come.
successful ideas guy
This idea that you're a successful tough guy if you evade taxes and deceive the state has got to change.
europe government progress
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.
commitment agree governance
This is global governance in the making. But we must agree, and agree to a binding commitment.
problem theoretical solutions
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.
europe stronger needs
The structures in Europe in a globalising economy need to be modernised, need to be more integrated, need to be stronger.
roller-coaster coasters up-and-down
Greece's history in the drachma was an up-and-down history, a roller coaster.
economic europe european fact fund governance guarantees monetary opportunity shows strength
The fact that we're going through a crisis is an opportunity for Europe to be more coordinated and more integrated. We're actually talking about a European Monetary Fund or euro bonds, about guarantees for countries, about economic governance in the European Union. That shows the strength of Europe.
challenges changes country equitable great meet political
We are a country with great potential. We have the political will to make deep changes in a just and equitable way, to put our country back on a development path, to meet the challenges of a new world.