Speech by President Jean-Claude Juncker at the Annual General Meeting of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises

Mister President, Αγαπητέ Πρόεδρε, Αγαπητέ φίλε

Prime Minister, Αγαπητέ Αλέξη

Chairman, Αγαπητέ Θεόδωρε

Commissioner,

Dear friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,
I am very honoured to be with you this evening. One has always to say that when one is addressing an audience, but this time it is really true. I am happy to be here, because I know that this is an important event in the Greek calendar.

And I would like to thank the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises for giving me the opportunity to address so many representatives and actors of the real economy here in Greece.

It is a great pleasure to be here again in Athens tonight because during my long political life, some of the most important events have taken place here in this country and in its capital city.

It is now 35 years since Greece joined the European Economic Community as the European Union was called at that time. And I remember celebrating the news.

We – you – have achieved a lot. The country has modernised, it has opened itself to the world and it has taken its rightful place at the heart of the European family. Today, even in times of difficulty, Greece is a free and vibrant society, and it is a vital member of the European Union. The achievements of Europe should never be taken for granted.

Read here the full speech.