From the international conference ‘Constantine Karamanlis in the 20th Century,’ hosted by the Constantine Karamanlis Foundation on June 5, 2007 at Zappeion Hall.

HELBI

Former Prime Minister and President of Greece Constantine Karamanlis breathed his last on the eve of the feast of St George in April 1998. That evening at Hygeia Hospital, his faithful colleague and president of the Constantine Karamanlis Foundation, Petros Molyviatis, along with his brother, vice president of the foundation, former minister and now deputy Achilleas Karamanlis, wept as they announced his death to the press. More recently, from the foundation came an invitation to a memorial ceremony on Monday, May 5, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Constantine Karamanlis. Prayers will be said over his white marble tomb, whose shiny surface reflects the clouds. Karamanlis left a legacy of achievement that resulted in Greece being among the first members of a unified Europe, and gave a fine example of strong, lasting government. His own words, “I wrung out my heart in order to give to Greece,” express the essence of his contribution, which keeps his name alive and respected, through the passage of time and regardless of political affiliation. His family will attend the ceremony, together with the staff of the foundation and the colleagues who were close to him through his long career as a political and national figure who was admired, acknowledged and honored by the leaders of his time in the West and elsewhere.