Former Greek prime minister Costas Simitis, who led Greece into the European Union's single currency in 2001, died on Sunday 05 January at his summer home in the Peloponnese. He was 88 years old.
Costas Simitis was a law professor and a reformist, leading the PASOK socialist party in 1996 and was prime minister until 2004.
“With sadness and respect, I bid farewell to Costas Simitis, a worthy and noble political opponent, but also the Prime Minister who accompanied Greece in its great national steps,” conservative Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a statement, as four days of mourning will end with Simitis funeral on Thursday, 09 January.
Sunday's newsroom report in To Vima reminds us of Costas Simitis efforts for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. To read the article in full, follow the link here, or for the extracts referring to the Parthenon Marbles, read below.
'A letter from Costas Simitis to then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair ( 21 October 2002), aimed to address Greece’s longstanding campaign for the return of the 5th-century sculptures held by the British Museum. Greece had then proposed a “long-term loan” of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens in exchange for rotating exhibitions of Greek treasures.
Simitis personally raised the issue during a visit to London on October 27, 2002, gifting Blair a biography of Lord Byron, which included references to the Sculptures. Blair later responded, deferring the decision to the British Museum and rejecting any direct political involvement. Simitis replied, reiterating the importance of a “political gesture.”
The matter gained media attention in 2003 when a Greek television clip showed Simitis appealing to Blair at a European Union summit in Brussels, citing upcoming Greek elections. This led to backlash from opposition parties and the Greek press, accusing Costas Simitis of politicizing a national cultural issue for electoral gain.'
