I was honoured and humbled to serve the (then) European Community, the European vision and ideals, since 1970. Indeed, my first job was at the Information Centre of the European Communities in Athens (1970-1972). In the late sixties and early seventies, while Greece was ruled by the military junta, the European institutions stood for the oppressed Greeks. I am proud to be a pro-European activist throughout my life.
As a diplomat, till my retirement as Ambassador of Greece in 2010, I was privileged to work in the shadow of true European leaders whose vision and action for Europe was beneficial to Greece, to Europe and to the South East Europe at large, notwithstanding their different ideologies, tactics and political agendas.
It is always the case that when the finances are tight tensions arise that even happens at a very small scale like a couple or a family. So it is not a surprise to see tensions among the Eurogroup countries given that they all suffer one way or another from the financial crisis and they all need to face specific challenges. I stay optimistic when it comes to the future of Europe and the E.U. At the end of the day this is the only answer to a globalized world. Every crisis offers possibilities for improvement and this is how we should look at the current Euro crisis. A chance to become stronger and improve!