April 21 marks the 57th anniversary of the coup by which a military junta seized power from Greece’s democratically-elected leader. Georgios Papadopoulos established the right-wing military dictatorship that would remain in power for seven years, until 1974.
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis marked today’s anniversary with this message:
“Today, 57 years since the military coup and 50 years since the restoration of democracy, the experiences of yesterday fuel the choices of tomorrow. We remember the tyranny of the dictatorship. We honor those that resisted. And we carry on the achievements of freedom and parliamentary democracy.”
“Greek men and women welcome this year’s anniversary with responsibility, maturity, and decisiveness,” he added, “protecting democracy from the new enemies who besiege it with lies and demagoguery. Overcoming the weaknesses of the post-junta period. Progressing steadily along the path of Europe and of progress.”
For her part, the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, stressed that:
“Today’s anniversary reminds us that democracy is an invaluable asset that must not be taken for granted. Democracy has to be demanded, won and safeguarded on a daily basis. And today, with wars raging and citizens’ resilience being put to the test in myriad ways, this need has become more urgent still. It is the duty of all of us, individually and collectively, to continuously defend it.”
