The Panathenaic Women’s Organization hosted an event at the Old Parliament in honor of the first female President of the Hellenic Parliament, Anna Psarouda-Benaki.

Former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis attended, recalling his 2004 nomination of Benaki for the Presidency of Parliament. Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was also present, accompanied by ND MP Miltos Chrysomallis.

In his speech, Karamanlis emphasized that political stability, especially parliamentary democracy, relies on properly functioning institutions, the rule of law, and judicial independence. He warned that when a growing segment of society believes these are compromised—institutions manipulated, Parliament weakened, governments unresponsive, the powerful unchecked, and the less privileged overburdened—a crisis emerges.

He added: “This is a crisis of devaluation, delegitimization, and rejection of the institutional framework and political system. These phenomena are real, present both in Greece and internationally. Restoring citizens’ trust requires immense effort. If this fails or is ignored, we face a major institutional crisis. If underestimated, it will lead to a first-order political crisis.”