He passed away today at the age of 84. Theodoros Pangalosleaving behind a rich political career. He served 31 years as an MP, holding ministerial positions and being debated like few others, leaving a strong mark.

In a confessional-prophetic interview in the midst of the crisis, in the program “New Affairs” in 2012, he spoke about his departure from active political activity, about the distribution of responsibility and the importance of self-awareness.

“Theodoros Pangalos is not a party. Theodoros Pangalos resigned from Parliament. I know him well,” he replied with cheerful seriousness, saying that in the last election he voted for PASOK “with great difficulty.”

“There are things of common sense in political life. Sound wisdom, says Galbraith, and she triumphs. Sometimes what public opinion says is true, sometimes it is a lie that has absolutely nothing to do with reality, and sometimes propaganda prevails. In Greece, the generally accepted opinion prevailed that two main parties had led the country to collapse. I don’t think this reflects reality, I think that the two main parties bear a colossal responsibility for the state of public finances, that is, for the state budget deficit and the debt that has arisen as a result of its accumulation. However, I believe that this responsibility is shared by both parties. But I think that all the other parties in the political system – the political system is the parties and the citizens who vote for all these parties – are responsible, because all these parties have always demanded more, more harmful – closer relations with clients, more appointments. , more concessions, tax breaks (…) The Communists, say, in parliament asked for something more than what the two main parties were willing to provide through public finances. And from there, all the townspeople who were comfortable in this whole story used the relationship to fuel clientelism. I cannot say that a citizen is completely irresponsible.

I understand that this manifestation of self-awareness would be of great importance. If anyone is telling this story that I am telling you, it is obviously about me. History, that is, the state of the client. Corruption that led to appointments, overspending, and cuts in government revenue, leaving us in deficit and debt. If someone tells this story, I think it’s much more important than saying, “I’m really sorry that I didn’t do what I should have done for so many years.” I say it very lightly, but what does it matter? You know, an apology of this kind can also be a theatrical event, be theatrical in nature. To be a way to enter with a slight fall, elegant and unkempt, into the pool of Siloam and exit and continue the same. And we have seen this many times in our political life.”

What did he say about SYRIZA

When asked if SYRIZA is the “new PASOK”, he replied: “No, no, SYRIZA is a conservative party par excellence. It has nothing to do with the Democratic Party. SYRIZA is an authoritarian party, it uses banditry and slander as a method. I believe that SYRIZA is an exception from political life, and for me some of its events are close to the events of the Golden Dawn. I do not believe that there are right-wing terrorists who should be condemned and left-wing terrorists who are revolutionary and worthy of praise. I do not believe in that. Terrorists are all terrorists, and bandits are all bandits. And Mr. Tsipras never once condemned the gangsterism of the leaders and their members organized by them, in which the Golden Dawn “bloomed”. Tsipras is the gardener of the greenhouse in which the Golden Dawn blossomed.