In the speech he addressed to young and young, Socialists and Democrats from all over the world participating in the Conference of the International Union of Socialist Youth (Iusy) in Pristina, the Pristina George A. Papandreouhe referred to the symbolic significance of Pristina, a city that – as he said – “carries the pain, but also the new hope.”
The former prime minister and honorary president of the Socialist International emphasized the need to return to the fundamental values of socialism: equality, social justice, participatory democracy and respect for human dignity.
The former prime minister has criticized the globalized and uncontrolled capitalism as a force that dissolves the social contract, expands inequalities, undermines democratic institutions and concentrates wealth and power in the hands of the few.
He pointed out that the Social Democrats were delayed to react to these developments and stressed the need for a new, bold attitude.
The former prime minister also referred to the alarming rise of the far right, who exploits the fear and insecurity of the citizens, proposing false solutions and targeting the most vulnerable – immigrants, refugees, minorities – while in fact serving the same interests.
“We are against the system – not against democracy,” he said. “We want to free democracy from the interests that have captured it. We want markets to serve man, not a man who serves markets. “
George Papandreou called on young people to take a leading role in the transformation of the world, inviting them to combine realism with value purity, to restore democracy as a daily act of participation, and to give political content to hope and morality. He referred to international standards such as Nelson Mandela and Clemed ‘Atli, while stressing that the generation of today’s young people is perhaps the last to prevent the ecological and social collapse of the planet.
In conclusion, he called on the new generation of socialists to “stand in favor of the earth, in favor of refugees, in favor of future generations” and to remain in history not for the management of the crisis, but for the transformation of the world – with courage, values, companionship and flames.