French industry, energy and digital economy
minister Eric Besson, under whose initiative the two-day symposium is organised, greeted Papandreou at the opening of the event and praised him for the "fortitude and courage" with which he was facing the crisis.
Papandreou, in turn, thanked Besson for the invitation to "such a high level conference", adding that he is fully aware that the invitation was due mainly to the struggle being waged by both himself and the country, a struggle that "leaves open wounds, and which we are trying to improve".
The Greek premier noted that there are "three myths" that prevailed during this period of crisis.
The first myth concerns the country's debt "which was not the cause, but a symptom, the tip of the iceberg", Papandreou said, adding that "the real cause was the deficiency in management, the bad use of the resources, the unequal distribution of the money, the clientele nature of the governance...".
In a specific reference to Greece, he outlined the reforms being made in the country. "Although we have not yet taken all the necessary measures, we have, however, acknowledged them as necessary," he said.
The second myth concerns the international markets and the immense concentration of the fiscal power, stressing that the challenge is to make the marks work toward the common good rather that comprising a "tool for the concentration of privileges for the few".
"In a globalised world, we need to regulate and check the power of the markets so that there will be greater equality," Papandreou elaborated.
Paris (ANA-MPA/O. Tsipira)
