Vangelis Marinakis at a gathering of the Piraeus municipal electoral ticket “Piraeus Victorious” has sent a resounding message to all and sundry that one must not allow Greece to sink and that hope must return to the country.
The New Year’s event was held at the Red 1925 Hall at Karaiskakis Stadium.
As the city councillor who garnered the most votes, Marinakis underlined:
“I in turn would like to wish you a Happy 2019 with health and the achievement of our objetives. Time passes quickly and now our City Council is in its fifth year. Believe me, I feel as if it was just yesterday that we drafted our ticket and decided to involve ourself with Piraeus municipal government. All these years we did whatever we could unselfishly and without second thoughts.”
Marinakis referred to the political situation and everything the government was saying about the port of Piraeus.
“Today they sent me a video which unfortunately we didn’t have the time to screen. It is characteristic and very humorous and concerns the government and what it was saying before being elected about the port of Piraeus, and how it did the opposite.”
“It was the same Mr. Tsipras who visited Piraeus before the election on the day Attica Prefect Rena Dourou spoke and when mayoral candidate Theodoris Dritsas was shouting as a contemporary demagogue telling the citizens of Piraeus not to hand the city over to business interests and to resist because our ticket allegedly wanted to privatise the port.”
Unswerving positions
“After a while, history showed that we remained unswerving in our initial position. Our position from the start was that the port should not be privatised with only a single investor. That is exactly what happened and the result is that Cosco now has a monopoly in Piraeus. We remained true to our views, while Mr. Tsipras and his government signed the privatisation and handover of the port to a single investor. Moreover, they publicly celebrated the fact that they were inconsistent and lied to the Greek people.”
Political developments
Regarding political developments Mr.Marinakis said the following:
“It is good for us to constantly remind people that local government should stay away from party politics, but unfortunately today the problem we face is clearly political. We must comprehend the full dimensions of all that has transpired in the last four-and-a-half years otherwise we shall be worthy of our fate. We cannot ask ourselves every time the government’s actions are criticised why that is happening. We must realise that we are accountable to ourselves, because we gave them the mandate to do this. What impresses me particularly is that people do not have the courage to resist because they have lost hope, and that is very sad.”
‘They sold off Greece’
“Hence, right here from Piraeus we must send a resounding message that we cannot watch our country sinking because of certain people who have sold off Greece for the next 100 years. These people have long ago lost the social majority and yet they bind our children and grandchildren on a road with no return. This fact should make us think and mobilise.”
“Let us then engage in even a small resistance.It is unacceptable for us to permit those in power to galavant and do all that they do daily.They are liars and have not exhibited a shred of patriotism. You see now how they are selling off our country. Not only that, they have unfathomable audacity and do not hide it.”
“We must focus on what we shall do. In my life I have learned that when something is just we must raise our voices loudly. That can create problems for us and as you well know it has caused me many problems at all levels. Yet vindication always comes and under such conditions it is even sweeter.”
“That is why we must understand that all that has happened over the last few years did not occur even under the junta in Greece. You saw what happened at the demonstration [on the Macedonian naming issue]. What can one say when one sees photos of children suffering from tear gas, and instead of those in power apologising to the Greek people they mock. If we do not do anything to change this situation we have a share of the blame. That is my view and I express it freely.”
“We have tried for the last five years to do whatever we could for our city. As you know I did and shall contribute with my own funds and with no business gain. My only motivation was and is my love for our city. Every day when I walk around Piraeus and see something wrong, I immediately take the initiative to correct it. For me our city is my home.”
“We cut our New Year’s pita at Olympiacos FC. I told the team that in 2018 it was our fault that we lost the championship. It was not the government that was against us, nor the Federation, nor our opponents who were to blame. We must be stronger to defeat all our opponents.”
‘Political good-for-nothings’
“As regards our municipal electoral ticket, we can openly say that at times we have confronted various issues and obstacles, but we managed by all accounts to leave behind important works. What have those gentlemen who come here and talk about us done?”
“What has SYRIZA’s mayoral candidate done for the city for example? They come here as political good-for-nothings to say what? What exactly are their accomplishments and legacy? Think about that. Whatever one may say about us we have produced beneficial works – in our professional activity, with Olympiacos, in Piraeus, and in society. Thanks to our efforts people in need are fed every day. We have substantially improved the urban environment with interventions with green spaces, in the facades of old buildings, with playgrounds, squares and tree-plantings. We have created athletic facilities and camps for our children and have established Piraeus as a point of reference in cultural affairs. So I ask once again what have these gentlemen done? The things we hear are absolutely illogical. It would be well if we do not concern ourselves with them. The aim is for us to do more because we love our city and that is our duty to the citizens who trusted us.”
“As regards the Piraeus Victorious ticket, I am convinced that in the forthcoming elections we shall wage the good fight and we shall be victorious. However, at the same time we should do some extra things, to be even more proud of our city and serve as a role model for the rest of the country. As mayoral candidate Yannis Moralis said, I believe that this effort will be embraced by all active citizens because they have seen what we have done over the last years. I take this opportunity to invite you to stand by our two candidates in the regional elections on the ticket of Yorgos Patoulis, who come from the core of Piraeus Victorious – Stavroula Antonakou and Stavros Voidonikolas, who obviously will have our unlimited support.”
I am even more optimistic about the ticket and our beloved Piraeus, but that does not mean that we do not have to work hard and be even more dynamic and industrious than the last time around. I shall be here and work with all my power for the best. Together we shall achieve a great victory. I wish you all the best for 2019.
