Konstantinos Karamanlis

The legendary Governor’s Mansion (“Palataki” or “Kyverneion” in Greek) of Thessaloniki, the imposing edifice with its magnificent view, which has hosted heads of state, kings and prime ministers, is being revived.

Greece is celebrating 50 years of democracy, the restoration of which followed the collapse of the seven-year junta that ended disastrously with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974.

The Constitution of 1975 was significantly different from today’s version, as it has undergone four revisions since then. It was passed exclusively by the overwhelming parliamentary majority of the New Democracy (ND) party, which held 220 seats following the November 1974 elections, without the participation of the opposition.

The referendum of December 8, 1974 definitively resolved the constitutional issue in Greece, with a decisive outcome: 69% in favor of the republic and only 31% supporting the monarchy.

In 1984, “Eleni” divided Greece yet again, reigniting civil passions. The book, a product of extensive research and based on hundreds of verified testimonies, tells the true story of Eleni Gatzogianni from Lia, Epirus. Eleni, a simple village woman, became a universal legend due to the immense success of the book written about her tragic fate by her son, Nikos Gatzogiannis.

The transition period, known as Metapolitefsi, began at 2 am on July 24, 1974, when the French presidential plane landed at Ellinikon Airport. Konstantinos Karamanlis was greeted like a hero by thousands of citizens who had gathered in the middle of the night to welcome him.

This week kicked off with two former prime ministers and leaders of New Democracy - Antonis Samaras and Konstantinos Karamanlis - launching maybe the most severe criticism of Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his leadership that we've heard so far, touching on foreign and domestic policy.

We will honor Konstantinos Karamanlis’s Macedonia

This year New Democracy, Greece's ruling party, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As the main political force of the center right, ND had been at the forefront of re-establishing democracy in 1974, under the leadership of Konstantinos Karamanlis who returned from exile that year and founded the party.

To begin with the word itself: Let us remember that the first "Metapolitefsi" (the restoration of democracy) had already taken place before the Junta's fall, in 1973.