George Papandreou, speaking on the panel of the conference “Transplantation: 50 years later”, referred to the referendum announcement he made in 2011, which he had to withdraw after backlash.
“Too bad, I didn't insist on a referendum. We carry a heavy political burden,” former prime minister Giorgos Papandreou said of his term in office.
Mr. In Papandreou 2009, when there should have been unity, populism prevailed. Dropping hints about tearing down the memoirs, the former prime minister said, “If we had served the truth, the memoirs would have been very short-lived.”
“In the worst post-revolution moment, in 2009, there should have been a sense of unity, I experienced populism there. Others asked to tear down the monument. We told the truth. If we had served them, this monument would have been for a very short time,” he said characteristically.
“I asked Karamanlis for the real facts.”
Also, the former prime minister returned to the issue of the data he received when he took charge of the country's government, saying he asked Karamanlis to tell me the real data about the economy.
“I spoke to the person in charge of Greece at the IMF who is of Indian origin and he said he spoke to Mr. Alokoskoufis that the country would go bankrupt. In 2007, 2008, Mr. Alokoskoufis knew what was going on. And of course Mr. Papathanassou”, he said.
“We are not doing well,” said Mr. Ten days before the election. Provopoulos told me. I asked Mr Karamanlis for the facts. He didn't answer me,” Mr. Papandreou noted.