“The government’s goal for 2011 is to be the last year of recession, while 2012 will be the year when economic growth will be launched so that in 2013, everything that led us to the crisis will be left behind,” Prime Minister George Papandreou underlined on Wednesday, speaking during the last Cabinet meeting of the year.
“In 2010, we managed to withstand the biggest crisis Greeks ever went through in recent history and, at the same time, major reforms of historic importance were launched for the creation of a new Greece” George Papandreou Greek PM
The prime minister stated that this was the 31st cabinet meeting since the beginning of the year and the 39th since he took office.
“This past year, the Greek people have been tested as never before,” he said, adding that “no government and no politician would have wanted to handle such a national crisis but it was our duty and we have done it.”
“If we hadn’t done what we did, we wouldn’t be able to prevent the country’s bankruptcy and we would have been responsible for not doing everything in our power,” he said.
“In 2010, we managed to withstand the biggest crisis Greeks ever went through in recent history and, at the same time, major reforms of historic importance were launched for the creation of a new Greece,” he stressed.
“There was no other government in the past that produced more work in such a short period of time,” he said and referred to the main initiatives undertaken by the government over the past year, adding that “no government was ever called in the past to implement its programme in such difficult and often asphyxiating circumstances.”
Referring to 2011, Papandreou stressed that the priorities of his government include creating a state that will be in the service of the people, while ensuring a return to economic growth.
He also referred to the rule of law, the welfare state and giving the country a strong voice in international forums.
