Distinct beacons of history from Kosta Simitis’s strong footprint in governing the country for two consecutive terms are being attempted to be preserved and at the same time exploited by PASOK for future bets, following the loss of the former prime minister who brought the country’s two great political families briefly closer together.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nikos Androulakis met via obituaries yesterday at the funeral service, in several statements about the deceased’s projects – from major infrastructure to the country’s entry into the EMU and Cyprus’ accession to the EU, without even resolving the Cyprus problem. “Immortal” was later shouted by the crowd that gathered outside the Athens Metropolis to honour the “Prime Minister of Projects” and accompany him to his final resting place, the Athens First Cemetery.

Earlier, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had recalled that the two rival factions, New Democracy and PASOK, met during the great moments of Simitis’ premiership, while the PASOK leader tried to highlight the social democratic compass he followed to achieve the difficult goals he set while at the helm of government.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also focused on the culture of consensus that Kostas Simitis followed for major issues, while Nikos Androulakis argued that his reforms always had progressive content. And the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, escaping the formalities of her role speaking of a great European social democrat, a leader of the “modernization” movement who “introduced in our political culture a new method and concept of governance.”

The funeral service was attended by “all of PASOK”; Giorgos Papandreou, who was absent citing his trip to China (which was hotly debated later) was represented by his brothers, Nikos and Andreas. Two other former prime ministers, Kostas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras from the Southwest, were also absent, as was Alexis Tsipras due to COVID (but he was represented by his longtime diplomatic advisor Vangelis Kalpadakis).

The resounding absences of the “exes” cast a shadow over the funeral without, however, in the least affecting the memory of the deceased. Several ministers and deputy ministers of the government were present, including Michalis Chrysochoidis and Giorgos Florides from PASOK and the center-left, Thanasis Kongogeorgis and Panos Tsakloglou. Adonis Georgiadis, who was also in attendance, had a few hours earlier been in a heated confrontation with Aphrodite Latinoopoulou over the “horrible” things she uttered against Kostas Simitis.

The presence of Syriazas was also increased in numbers; apart from Socrates Famellos, many top executives, including Olga Gerovassili, were at the funeral, Giorgos Karameros, Marilisa Xenogiannakopoulou and Giannis Ragousis (former PASOK ministers), Thanasis Theocharopoulos, Thanasis Theocharopoulos, etc. The New Left was represented by its leader Alexis Haritsis, the former Speaker of the Parliament, Nikos Voutsis and others, while the KKE was represented by Thanasis Paphilis.

Professor Konstantinos Tsoukalas, a peer and childhood friend of Kostas Simitis who has served as a SYRIZA State MP, was among those who gave the bounty for the deceased – but he preferred to talk about the “other” Kostas, the one who, as prime minister, got into the boat with the drunken boatman and enjoyed temporary anonymity by slogging through the waters of the sea.

The former minister and academic, Tasos Giannitsis who was a close friend of his also spoke about the Simitis focusing on his work saying, among other things, that “in 2004 he delivered a Greece better than the one he had received”. Voulgaris completed the tour of the historical “stations” created by Costas Simitis, noting that: “Let us not forget that in 2004 Europe was reunited after the World War under the presidency of Greece and Kostas Simitis.”

His wife Daphne and his daughters Marilena and Fiona (together with her husband Pavlos Mouzakitis) stood with dignity and deep emotion next to the coffin in the Metropolis of Athens, shaking their heads condescendingly several times as they listened to the praise and positive words from friends and political opponents of Kostas Simitis.

Mrs. Daphne Simitis is expected to renounce the former prime minister’s privileges today: his colleagues from his office in parliament will leave, he will hand over his official cars, wanting to stay out of the spotlight as he has done all these years. Kostas Simitis’ long-time “guardian angel” and head of security, Thanasis Filippopoulos, will formally resign from his duties, but those in the know stress that “all those years there, he became one with the Simitis family and that is where he will be for the most part.”

As of today, Charilaou Trikoupis is “returning” to programmatic opposition against the government, as its executives say it will continue to highlight the government’s weaknesses in a combative manner. Today, unless something unexpected happens, Milena Apostolaki will submit a topical question to parliament on private insurance premiums, while on Monday Nikos Androulakis will submit a topical question to the prime minister on the problems of the agricultural world. PASOK, however, does not rule out the possibility of a consensual presidential election if Kyriakos Mitsotakis is chosen from the center-left.

See photos from the last farewell to Kostas Simitis