Georgios Papandreou

Georgios Papandreou

Georgios Papandreou (13 February 1888 – 1 November 1968) was a Greek politician, and the founder of the Papandreou political dynasty, father of Andreas Papandreou. He served three times as Prime Minister of Greece (1944–1945, 1963, 1964–1965) and was Deputy Prime Minister from 1950 to 1952. Over a political career that spanned more than five decades, he held numerous ministerial posts, beginning in 1914, as Director of the Political office of Eleftherios Venizelos.

Papandreou was the founder of the Center Union is considered the ideological father of Greek Centrism, promoting a middle ground between right-wing conservative absolutism and left-wing progressive radicalism. A staunch anti-communist, deeply religious, eloquent orator and pragmatic under his leadership he sought to establish democratic stability, strengthen legal institutions, and introduce universal education in Greece.

He also modernized the army, and reformed Greece’s foreign policy, playing a significant role in supporting Cyprus during its first major crisis with Turkey in 1964. For his lifelong defense of democracy and his moral authority, in his over 50 years long carrier in politics, he became known as "The Old Man of Democracy".

Quotes

• He was glorified while in hiding, but vanished when he appearing.
  • About Georgios Grivas, leader of the EOKA's struggle in Cyprus.
  • Draenos, Stan (2012) (in en). Andreas Papandreou: The Making of a Greek Democrat and Political Maverick. New York: I. B. Tauris. p. 88. ISBN 978-1780760803. 

• Think, Andreas, if you die in America, how many people will come to your funeral? Then think how many will follow your casket in Athens if you stay.
  • One of the last Georgios Papandreou's arguments in persuading his son, Andreas Papandreou, to stay in Greece and groom him as his successor and future prime minister.
  • Stearns, Monteagle (2021) (in en). The enigma of Andreas Papandreou. Sterling: Potomac Books. p. 49. ISBN 978-1640123298. 

• The Paraskevopoulos government was our last chance for avoiding a military take-over. With your [Andreas'] militant stand against it, with your strong statements against the King, with your distrust you instilled in the American contingent here, this became inevitable.
  • Georgios Papandreou blaming his son, Andreas Papandreou, for the Greek Junta.
  • Papandreou, Andreas (1971) (in en). Democracy at Gunpoint. New York: Deutsch. p. 24. 

External links

Encyclopedic article on Georgios Papandreou on Wikipedia