"All tax evaders must pay"

“It’s time for those who hide their incomes to pay”, said President Karolos Papoulias during his reception for the 37th anniversary of the restoration of democracy.

Mr. Papoulias, addressing attendees who had been involved in the anti-dictatorial struggle, noted that the country owes them a lot but that their generation, though severely tested, had a “horizon” in front of them.

“This is not so today. The new generation, who grew up in conditions of relative prosperity or more, is the first that will have to experience worse situations than its predecessor. It carries on its back an unsustainable debt. We, in our generation, must do whatever is necessary to make the difficult years ahead as easy as possible”, noted the President and described how the demands of the anti-dictatorial struggle are still relevant.

“‘Bread’ in an economy that allows all citizens a decent living. 'Education’ for an open society characterized by meritocracy and an ability to utilize the creativity of its citizens. 'Freedom’ in a country that does not live on borrowed powers”.

Referring to the decisions of the EU summit, the President noted that “this happened after a long delay, but it is a step along the long road of European integration”, and highlighted the consolidation of the rules of economic democracy as a national challenge.

“It is time for all those who hide their incomes to pay the piper, whether you are a big tax-evader with bank accounts abroad, or part of the tax-free middle class. I cannot accept that the shadow economy is invincible. Let’s all agree that fraud is the most antisocial behavior. Let us all agree that tax evasion is the most antisocial of behaviors, it creates terms of social lack of cohesion and undermines the national future”, he stated, and spoke of the need to support the provision against money laundering and the removal of banking confidentiality when there are assets disproportionate to the income declared.

Mr. Papoulias also stressed the importance of tackling unemployment and combating bureaucracy in order to attract foreign investment and develop healthy entrepreneurship so as “not to remain at the mercy of eternal debt”.

“Some seek that this crisis become a crisis against Democracy as well”, he said, and stressed that “in a system that works, in a political system with self-respect, results in the battle for social justice prevent the nightmarish possibility of uncontrolled social tensions”.

In this context, he called on politicians to talk more, to intervene, not to leave “public space available for those who talk a lot without any reason or for their own reasons”.

The President also expressed his horror and sympathy concerning the terrorist attack in Norway which reminds us, as he said, “how much darkness human nature can hide and where education in hatred may lead”.