Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou opened the 5th Delphi Economic Forum on Tuesday, held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A new and positive international image of the country is Greece’s new legacy from the crisis, and a sense that we can cope even with the greatest difficulties,” she said, noting that the pandemic had cancelled the annual meeting of forum delegates in historic Delphi but had not dismayed the organisers, who adapted to the new conditions.
She said that, during the pandemic, “the state gained the trust of the citizens and Greece the respect of international public opinion” while showing good preparation and organisation as well as swift crisis management.
She also noted the need for a strong public health system.
On a global level, the president said that the pandemic was testing the endurance of many societies but stressed that “crises can also have a positive impact when they are turned into life lessons.”
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Ms Sakellaropoulou noted that apart from strengthening government structures, Greece had made leaps in the area of digital modernisation. She said that 2020 will be remembered as the year when Greece reduced the digital literacy gap separating it from the rest of Europe.
She expressed her gratitude to frontline workers, including police, delivery and supermarket staff and those that “kept the country running when everyone had to stay home”.
She pointed to the challenges ahead in the global economy and health systems and the need to support economies. “This crisis strengthens our trust in European institutions and our common European course,” she said.
“Europe is coming back, winning the wager of solidarity and cohesion, and with it the confidence of European citizens.”