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Europe’s Future: How a United Europe Can Play a Leading Role in the 21st Century
Despite its struggles, Europe can and must be a strong economic axis in the global economy, a global power alongside the U.S. and China, argues Prime Minister Papandreou. However, European leaders must take action to ensure that European knowledge, innovation, and values underpin the globalized economy for decades to come.
Greece, In the Eye of the Storm: International Crisis and Why it is a Global Imperative for Greece to be a Success Story
Prime Minister Papandreou presents an in-depth look into the causes behind the Greek crisis, and explains why failing to find a solution will have dire economic and geopolitical implications for Europe, and for the world. Presenting the competitive sectors in the Greek economy and revealing undiscovered investment opportunities, Papandreou explains how, by addressing the corrosive uncertainty about Greece’s future, Europe can catalyze an overnight investment boom in the country while restoring confidence in the Euro.
The European Experiment Between Disaster and Success: Why (and How) We Must Redesign Europe
Prime Minister Papandreou argues that the Euro-crisis is the inevitable result of an incomplete monetary union and offers a practical roadmap for overcoming the crisis and democratically strengthening European institutions.
Confronting the Democratic Deficit: Citizen-Centric Policies in the Age of Austerity
Prime Minister Papandreou discusses why a growing democratic deficit and citizens' cynicism towards politics poses the greatest risk to Western societies. He will address the challenge of how to rebuild the faltering trust between citizen and government in our democracies.
Crisis Diplomacy 2.0: Overcoming Modern Challenges in Crisis Resolution
Drawing on decades of personal experience, from orchestrating the Turkish-Greece rapprochement in an era of rising hostilities, the conflicts in the Balkans and the Middle East, to late-night Euro-crisis summits in Brussels, Prime Minister Papandreou explains why finding multilateral solutions has become increasingly difficult—and how political will, citizens participation and creative politics can do something about it.
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George Papandreou honored with Distinguished Leadership Award
Former Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou was presented with the prestigious Distinguished Leadership Award by the International Leadership Association (ILA). Given to individuals whose leadership has created an extraordinary impact that transcends national boundaries, the Distinguished Leadership Award is presented at ILA’s Annual Global Conference. Beyond accepting the award, Papandreou spoke on the conference’s theme, Leadership in Turbulent Times, a topic he is highly qualified to address as Greece’s Prime Minister immediately following the global financial crisis of 2008. Named by Foreign Policy as a “Top 100 Global Thinker” in 2010 for his work in “making the best of Greece’s worst year,” Papandreou remains a trusted expert on the Eurozone and how to best address global economic challenges. As ILA President and CEO Cynthia Cherry said: “George Papandreou lives the ILA values and is an inspiring example for all of us who strive to make positive change for the greater good of individuals and communities worldwide."
George Papandreou discusses One Belt One Road in China
Former Prime Minister of Greece GEORGE PAPANDREOU spent several days with Chinese President Xi Jinping and over 70 world leaders discussing One Belt One Road, otherwise known as OBOR or 'The New Silk Road.' This infrastructure "project of the century" aims to connect 60 countries across Europe and Asia, and even the idea of it is a shining example of China's globalization policy. Papandreou speaks about China's global ambition and how it is shaping the world economy and trade.
George Papandreou - Authority on the Eurozone and Global Finance
George Papandreou has been at the forefront of issues related to the stability of the eurozone. Named as one of Foreign Policy magazine’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers," he speaks with authority on the future of the European Union with regard to the refugee crisis, economic stability, global security and shifts in geopolitical alliances.
George A. Papandreou is a world leader who has worked tirelessly in pursuing Democracy, Peace, Equality and Freedom through an unparalleled career in global and domestic politics.
The Statesman
George A. Papandreou served as Greece’s Prime minister on the outbreak of the Greek financial crisis, managing to prevent his country from plunging in to bankruptcy, whilst applying a series of structural reforms for modernizing his country. In 2010 he was awarded Germany’s Quadriga Award in the category “Power of Veracity”, for his achievements related to government Transparency. For his efforts to reform Greece he was named one of the Foreign Policy magazine’s TOP 100 Global Thinkers in 2010.
The Global Politician
Currently he is the President of the Socialist International, the largest global political family. The SI brings together 153 social democratic, socialist and Labour parties from all continents. Currently, 53 member parties of the SI are in government and numerous represent the main opposition. The SI has a consultative status - Category I - with the United Nations and works with a large number of other international organizations. Its thematic and geographic Committees are deepening, broadening and promoting particular areas of global policies, optimizing the input of different national experiences. The SI special Commissions on the Global Financial Issues, for a Sustainable World Society and on Inequality, composed of Nobel prize recipients, renowned experts and academics, members of International organizations party leaders, member of governments and Heads of State, are producing special reports with new sets of ideas and policy proposals. By specific initiatives and missions the SI is promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts and supports the strengthening of democracy, including through election monitoring.
The Innovator
An active supporter of the information society and e-democracy, in 2003 Papandreou was selected as one of the “25 People Who are Changing the World of Internet Politics”. As PM, he established opengov for the first time in Greece, implementing among others:
The Peace Builder
As Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou pursued and initiated action to establish common ground between different countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Balkans.
In 1997, as Foreign Minister, George Papandreou in collaboration with his Turkish counterpart, the late Ismail Cem, achieved a breakthrough in Greek - Turkish relations, initiating a gradual rapprochement following the Imia crisis that brought the two countries almost to the edge of a war.
In 2000 he was widely praised for his diplomatic bridge building and received the Eastwest Institute Peace Building Award, jointly with Ismail Cem, for their unprecedented efforts at improving relations between their formerly rival countries. He also played a key role in the negotiations that led to Turkey’s EU candidacy in 1999 and Cyprus’s entry into the European Union in May 2004.
In 2015, wishing to inspire a new generation of peace builders and honor personalities and organizations contributing to conflict management and stability in the broader region he established with Ismail Cem's family, the Papandreou-Cem International Peace Award.
Following his systematic efforts, in 2003, the European Council adopted the "Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans: Moving towards European Integration" which represented a major step in relations between Eastern European countries and the EU.
Since the beginning of the nineties, George Papandreou promoted the idea of reviving the Ancient Greek tradition of the Olympic Truce that dates back to 776 BC. In 1996, the resolution of the 50th session of the UN General Assembly supports the idea of building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal and invites all member states to uphold the Olympic Truce during the games.Three years later, the International Olympic Committee, announced the Establishment of the Olympic Truce Foundation and the Olympic Truce Center, where George Papandreou serves as Vice Chairperson.
The Educator
As an MP (1981-2015), he served in several government posts, as undersecretary of Culture and Minister of Education, before becoming Foreign Minister from 1999-2004. He was a champion of 'Free Radio' which was the harbinger of opening up to non-state media in Greece.
As Minister of Education, he founded the Greek Open University, which allowed for all to participate in distance studies for University degrees, he established multi-cultural schools, and instituted a minimum quota for admission of students in Greek universities who were members of the Muslim community in Greece.
The Party leader
George Papandreou was leader of PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement), from 2004 until 2012. During his tenure he brought deep changes to the party by initiating for the first time in European politics, open primaries for the election of the party leader, implementing innovative methods of democratic participation of the grass roots in shaping policies, spreading the use of new technologies for citizen participation in political decision making, promoting educational programs and leadership training seminars for party members and elected cadres.
On January 2015, Papandreou, underlining the need for a groundbreaking change of the Greek political system, created a new party the Movement of Democrats and Socialists, which today is part of a larger alliance under the name of 'Democratic Alignment'.
The Thinker
Inspired by the Ancient Greek "symposium" tradition, since 1998, he convenes an annual gathering bringing together thinkers and decision makers from different backgrounds and origins to debate on crucial topics of the international agenda, aspiring to generate new ideas. Taking place in a different location in Greece every year, the International Annual Symi Symposium, through creative combinations of people and topics, provides participants the possibility to think out of the box in a very informal atmosphere.
Papandreou is a globally recognized expert on the future of the EU, and on the on-going Eurozone financial crisis. He is at the forefront of the discussion of the threat of the dangerous political figures that fuel nativist ethnocentrism and xenophobia. Named as one of Foreign Policy magazine’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers”, he speaks with authority on the future of the European Union with regard to the refugee crisis, economic stability, global security and shifts in geopolitical alliances.
Graduated from Amherst College and holds an M.Sc. in Sociology and Development from London School of Economics. He was a fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs (1992-1993) and the Institute of Politics (2012). In 2013, he served as a Global Fellow and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs as well as a faculty member in the Master of Public Affairs program at Sciences Po in Paris.
He speaks Greek, English and Swedish.
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