| Introducing the Political Spring party's goals and objectives. Documents from the party's archives. ECONOMY GREECE ECONOMY CULTURAL SYSTEM EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT FAMILY POLICY GREEK SPORT HEALTH SYSTEM AGRICULTURAL POLICY HELLENES ABROAD MERCHANT SHIPPING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES TOURISM UNEMPLOYMENT ΕΞΩΤΕΡΙΚΗ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΗ (GR) CONTACT Political Spring party's history · Athens, Greece © 2001-2025 |
The geopolitical earthquake of 1989, which caused the collapse of ideological walls, the dissolution of multinational states and the resurgence of minority problems-gave unprecedented fluidity to the international environment that until then had been firmly articulated in the East-West bipolar scheme, while the new international order continued to remain an abstract definition without substantial content.
The avalanche of this change in the international scene has made it imperative to re-engineer Greek politics.
The constant of Greek foreign policy must be the safeguarding of the territorial integrity of the country's interests and prestige. Its commitment to peaceful processes and respect for Human Rights and fundamental freedoms. The respect of existing borders and the consolidation of Greece's position in the Balkans as a factor of peace, stability, security and economic development. Factors that have a decisive influence on the formulation and conduct of Greek Foreign Policy and which differ substantially from the policy of our community partners are: the security problem that the country faces in its relations with Turkey, the problem of Cyprus, the protection of the Greek minority in Albania and the issue of Skopje.
UN
Greece must remain fully committed to the principles of the UN Charter and their non-selective application. We are in favour of upgrading the role of the agency. This could be achieved by increasing the number of permanent members of the Security Council, strengthening the role of the Gen. Secretary for the development of preventive diplomacy, to avoid armed rifts and the creation of a Human Rights Council with substantial powers.
EUROPE
At the European level, Greek foreign policy should aim to implement the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris charter. We consider it necessary to strengthen the competence of the CSCE in the fields of conflict prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes.
EUROPEAN UNION
Greece must be an active player in the creation of a unified Europe. Greece's goal should be to join and remain in the hard core of the European Union, i.e. in the most advanced group of states.
This objective, among other things, presupposes economic convergence in order for Greece to participate in monetary union without, however, this objective being an end in itself.
Within the framework of the common foreign policy, the angle of convergence with our community partners should be determined on the basis of the country's vital national interests, which will be protected by the exercise of the statutory right of member states to refuse to take decisions by majority vote (veto power).
The accession of Cyprus to the European Union is one of the primary objectives of Greek policy, which should be pursued with consistency and determination in view of the forthcoming enlargement of the European Union.
Greece must also support the strengthening of community procedures to decisively assist in the double reform project undertaken in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and in Russia to establish multi-party democracy and a market economy.
BALKANS
Ensuring a stable and lasting peace in the Balkans requires the political settlement of the problems that
they emerged from the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the recent crisis in Albania. Irredentist tendencies
which are hidden in these two countries but in Bulgaria and Fr.C.D.M., serious socio-economic problems and the democratization deficit are an additional factor of instability in the region. Greece, the only EU country in the Balkans with a long tenure in the parliamentary democracy regime, with the protection of human rights guaranteed and respecting its minority protection contractual obligations, has a primary interest in contributing, in cooperation with the European Union, to the safeguarding of peace and stability in the Balkan region.
of the specific problems facing Greece in the Balkans, the issue of the
FYROM and the protection of the Greek minority in Albania.
on this last issue our country's goal should be to secure, own rights
who ask Tirana for the Albanians outside the borders of the country, and for the Greek minority who
he lives on the northern continent.
regarding the issue of Skopje, the defense of the Greekness of Macedonia must continue
to be based on the three community conditions of 16 December 1991 and to seek at all costs the return of
the issue of the name of Skopje in the European Union.
any Greek withdrawal will have tragic results for the prestige of our country and the National
security at a time when worrying correlations of forces and exogenous influences are developing in the region.
that is why the political spring proposes in the first phase the holding of a referendum, in order to prove in every direction abroad and inside, that the Greek people in their overwhelming majority remain adamant in the protection of historical truth and its borders.
The expression of the popular vote can be viewed in the European Union as a proof of the importance of the issue for Greece while laying the foundation for recourse to Article 1-2 of the new treaty of the European Union. TURKEY
Greece as a peace-loving country wishes to maintain close relations of friendship and cooperation with Turkey. Greek-Turkish relations are undermined both by the raising of claims and by Turkey's violation of Greece's sovereign rights.
The situation has worsened following the Ymia incident and Turkey's attempt to create "grey zones" in the Aegean.
There is often a need for dialogue with Turkey to settle disputes. We do not refuse dialogue. But we are opposed to a dialogue that does not have the status quo and international treaties as its basis.
Greece, respecting the status as it was formed by the Treaty of Lausanne, does not make any territorial claims and therefore, there can be no talk of any territorial concession on our part. On the contrary, Greece must exercise the rights deriving from international law, e.g. extension of territorial waters to 12 N.M and proportional alignment with airspace.
Regarding the issue of delimitation of the Aegean continental shelf, Greece considers that this should be submitted to the International Court of Justice. The Greek government unfortunately accepted to refer the matter to the Hague Tribunal in the first place.
The government position that Greece should agree to any illegal Turkish demand being referred to The Hague is both dangerous and contrary to the practice followed by all Greek governments from 1974 until today.
The existence of a Muslim minority in Western Thrace, the only one in Greek territory, can and should be a positive element in the normalization of Greek-Turkish relations. And this, of course, provided that minority Muslims as Greek citizens cease to be used by Ankara as a lever of Turkey's expansionist policy at the expense of Greece. By contrast, Turkey must respect the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne concerning the rights of the Greek minority in Istanbul, as well as the Greek population of Imbros and Tenedos.
CYPRUS
The solution of the Cyprus problem is a prerequisite for the promotion of Greek-Turkish relations. The failure to date of the efforts to resolve it, makes it imperative for the EU to act.E. with a view to a just and definite solution of the problem.
On the Cyprus issue, however, the development of a joint strategy between Greece and Cyprus will confirm the European orientation of the Republic of Cyprus and will determine the next stages of the course for its full accession to the EU.E.
RUSSIA AND NEW INDEPENDENT STATES
The dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the creation of new independent states with which Greece has an interest in developing political, economic and cultural relations. The aim of Greek foreign policy should be to strengthen its already friendly relations with Russia, with which we are linked by long-standing historical and religious ties.
A special concern should also be the strengthening of Greece's ties, especially with similar countries in the region such as Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia.
MIDDLE EAST - MAGREB
The area of the Middle East and MAGREB is an appropriate field for the activation of Greek Foreign Policy.
The upgrading of Greek-Israeli, political and economic relations must continue, while the traditional friendly relations that link our country with the Arab states constitute a solid foundation on which Greece can and must promote Greek-Arab relations in all areas of mutual interest, especially with the active participation of our country in the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation under the Meda programmes.
ASIA AND FAR EAST
Our relations with the countries of this region are far from meeting the real demands of Greek interests. The shortcomings are huge in both the political and economic spheres with incomplete diplomatic representation.
Political Spring considers it necessary not only to fill these shortcomings but also to initiate practical procedures, already tested by other states, aimed at upgrading Greek economic diplomacy in this region.
DUAL GREEK IDENTITY AND PERSPECTIVE |