A well-known Greek community figure was seen in Greek media last week conversing with SYRIZA leader, Alexis Tsipras, in Corinth.
Speaking to Neos Kosmos Pierre Pallas (Panagiotis Psachoulias), former member of South Melbourne FC board of directors who has made the move back to the motherland, revealed the subject of the meeting with the Greek opposition leader and former Prime Minister.
“I don’t belong to a particular political area, nor am I a supporter of any political party here in Greece. The same is true in Australia,” Mr Pallas clarified.
“I personally like to have free and independent choices. If you have a manager in your business and you see he doesn’t have the skills to achieve the results you expect, what do you do? The logical thing to do is to replace him. I think that’s the way we should think when there is an election and not in a partisan way.”
According to Mr Pallas, the SYRIZA leader “bumped into” him on the street where he was enjoying his morning coffee with his cousin.
“It was very crowded. I was wearing a Manchester United shirt when he saw me as he passed by,” Mr Pallas said.
“He approached me, said hello and said ‘ah Manchester United’ pointing to the badge on my shirt. At the ‘good morning Alexis’ I said, he realised I was from abroad and asked me where from.”
Upon explaining he is from Australia and that he has, for some time now, repatriated to Greece, returning to Australia every year as a holiday, Mr Tsipras replied:
“‘Australia is a country with a large Greek presence and that I would visit it at the first opportunity,’. I expressed to him, quickly and in a few words, problems that expats face with bureaucracy in many of their affairs either with the consulate in Australia or coming to Greece. He recommended me to speak and report details too,” Mr Pallas told Neos Kosmos.
“He asked me if I vote here or Australia and who I vote for… I replied, smiling, that I would think about it.”
