Editorial: American vote of confidence in Greece

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ recent visit to Washington, his meeting with US President Joe Biden, and his address to a Joint Session of Congress was one of the most significant events in Greek foreign policy in recent years.

Greece demonstrated once again that it constitutes a trustworthy pillar of stability, not only for its neighbourhood and the tortured Balkans, but for all of Europe.

The PM was persuasive in speaking with Greece’s powerful ally, and six out of ten Greeks, as surveys indicate, laud his handling of this important visit.

The warm statements of President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comparison of Mr. Mitsotakis’ speech to that of Vaclav Havel 30 years ago, the repeated standing ovations from members of Congress, and positive foreign press reports constitute a vote of confidence, not only in a government but in an entire country.

The US certainly still takes Turkey seriously into account, recognises its strategic role, and concludes agreements with it.

Yet with Greece the relationship involves something more: respect.

That is what those who criticise the PM as being “predictable”, or taken for granted by the US, fail to understand.

They criticise him because he does not resort to some sort of political blackmail, because he does not maintain equal distances [between Ukraine and Russia], because he fervently defended Greece’s interests without mentioning Turkey by name, and because he made historical comparisons without succumbing to populist criticism that reveals a poor understanding of history.

They find it difficult to distinguish between partisan tactics and patriotism. They view the global map through the prism of their petty politicking and competition, and they confuse practices in the US Congress with those in the Hellenic Parliament.

Greece emerged strengthened by the prime minister’s trip to Washington.

That does not mean that Athens has solved its national issues or has resolved its energy needs.

It means that Greece has resoundingly confirmed the support of the West’s leading country, through a course based on national pride, combined with a European orientation and a firm dedication to the enforcement of international law.

The road is long and difficult and transcends today’s protagonists, who nevertheless always leave a discernible imprint.