London School of Economics – Hellenic Conference 2026

«Shaping the path towards Greece’s future:

Empowering the younger generation and fostering sustainable growth»

Eίχα την τιμή να είμαι ομιλητής στο London School of Economics, στο LSE Hellenic Conference 2026 και να συμμετάσχω σε μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα συζήτηση με τον Καθηγητή του LSE και Director του Hellenic Observatory, Dr. V. Monastiriotis. Η θεματολογία της συζήτησης αφορούσε στο πώς η πρόταση για ένα ανθεκτικό παραγωγικό πρότυπο που θα εγγυάται την κοινωνική συνοχή στην Ελλάδα, μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί ως εργαλείο για να κινητοποιήσει ξανά τη νέα γενιά ανθρώπων που απέχει συστηματικά από τα κοινά. Και όλα αυτά, μέσα σε ένα διαρκώς μεταβαλλόμενο διεθνές και ευρωπαϊκό περιβάλλον, με τις προκλήσεις της κλιματικής κρίσης, της τεχνολογικής εξέλιξης, της τεχνητής νοημοσύνης αλλά και της δημογραφικής πίεσης να απαιτούν σύγχρονο σχεδιασμό και απαντήσεις.

Για την κλιματική κρίση: “Green transition is not politically neutral or just a technical issue. It’s not just a predefined procedure. It has a political and social impact. And its cost cannot once again fall on the back of the weakest ones. Quite simply, green transition will either be fair — or it will not happen at all. And without it, there is no sustainable future for us and our children.” «Η πράσινη μετάβαση δεν είναι πολιτικά ουδέτερη ούτε απλώς ένα τεχνικό ζήτημα. Δεν είναι μια προκαθορισμένη διαδικασία. Έχει πολιτικές και κοινωνικές επιπτώσεις. Και το κόστος της δεν μπορεί να πέσει για ακόμη μία φορά στις πλάτες των πιο αδύναμων. Πολύ απλά, η πράσινη μετάβαση είτε θα είναι δίκαιη — είτε δεν θα συμβεί καθόλου. Και χωρίς αυτήν, δεν υπάρχει βιώσιμο μέλλον για εμάς και τα παιδιά μας» Για τον ρόλο της Ευρώπης: “We clearly stand with the option of a much more politically unified Europe. A federation of states where the narrative of solidarity becomes an actual political reality. A Union that acts as a strong, reform-driven force — one that intervenes in markets, limits oligopolies, taxes extreme wealth, protects workers, and leads the green and digital transition. Τhat will once again become a pioneer on the international stage” «Στεκόμαστε ξεκάθαρα υπέρ της επιλογής μιας πολύ πιο πολιτικά ενοποιημένης Ευρώπης. Μιας ομοσπονδίας κρατών όπου το αφήγημα της αλληλεγγύης θα γίνει πραγματική πολιτική πράξη. Μιας Ένωσης που θα λειτουργεί ως ισχυρή δύναμη μεταρρυθμίσεων — που θα παρεμβαίνει στις αγορές, θα περιορίζει τα ολιγοπώλια, θα φορολογεί τον υπερβολικό πλούτο, θα προστατεύει τους εργαζομένους και θα ηγείται της πράσινης και ψηφιακής μετάβασης. Μιας Ευρώπης που θα γίνει ξανά πρωτοπόρος στη διεθνή σκηνή» Για τους δύο δρόμους που έχει μπροστά της η νέα γενιά: «The way I see it, there are two paths ahead of us. 1. The first is apathy — staying on the sidelines, believing that nothing ever changes. It’s the path of anger and rejection — complaining that “they are all the same”, a path that grows rage, but without offering alternatives, plans, or vision. 2. The second path is the hardest one: action. To take responsibility. To stand up and demand change. To change what no longer meets our needs and our dreams, with a plan and concrete proposals, new ideas for building a fairer, more human society. The choice between these paths is not abstract. It is reflected in everyday decisions: whether we participate or withdraw, whether we organize or remain isolated, whether we accept injustice as inevitable or challenge it collectively. History shows that progress has never been the result of apathy or resignation, but of sustained civic engagement, responsibility, and collective action» «Όπως το βλέπω εγώ, μπροστά μας ανοίγονται δύο δρόμοι. 1.  Ο πρώτος είναι η απάθεια — να μείνουμε στο περιθώριο, πιστεύοντας ότι τίποτα δεν αλλάζει ποτέ. Είναι ο δρόμος του θυμού και της απόρριψης — να παραπονιόμαστε πως “όλοι ίδιοι είναι”, ένας δρόμος που καλλιεργεί οργή, χωρίς όμως να προσφέρει εναλλακτικές, σχέδιο ή όραμα. 2. Ο δεύτερος δρόμος είναι ο πιο δύσκολος: η δράση. Να αναλάβουμε ευθύνη. Να σηκωθούμε και να απαιτήσουμε αλλαγή. Να αλλάξουμε ό,τι δεν ανταποκρίνεται πια στις ανάγκες και στα όνειρά μας, με σχέδιο και συγκεκριμένες προτάσεις, με νέες ιδέες για να χτίσουμε μια πιο δίκαιη, πιο ανθρώπινη κοινωνία. Η επιλογή ανάμεσα σε αυτούς τους δρόμους δεν είναι αφηρημένη. Αποτυπώνεται στις καθημερινές μας αποφάσεις: αν θα συμμετέχουμε ή θα αποσυρόμαστε, αν θα οργανωνόμαστε ή θα μένουμε απομονωμένοι, αν θα δεχόμαστε την αδικία ως αναπόφευκτη ή θα την αμφισβητούμε συλλογικά. Η ιστορία δείχνει ότι η πρόοδος δεν υπήρξε ποτέ αποτέλεσμα απάθειας ή παραίτησης, αλλά διαρκούς κοινωνικής συμμετοχής, ευθύνης και συλλογικής δράσης»

Ακολουθεί ολόκληρη η ομιλία μου:

It is a real pleasure to be here today, at the LSE Hellenic Conference 2026, surrounded by young people, researchers, academics, and people of knowledge and action. In a setting that has historically fostered open debate, rigorous analysis, and a strong sense of public responsibility—values that are more relevant today than ever before. Twelve years have passed since I was here as a student. For me, the LSE is not just a university. It is—like for many of you—my academic home. A journey into knowledge, research, and science. A place that taught me how to think critically, to question creatively, and not to settle for easy answers. A place that encourages intellectual courage, methodological discipline, and the constant testing of ideas against evidence and reality. A place full of ideas, thoughts, progressive values, and of course memories that I carry with me to this day. And maybe that is why today’s discussion feels even more important. To talk about the future of Greece, we must first talk about the present and the future of the world around us. Because national tracks are inseparable from global developments, and domestic choices are increasingly shaped by international dynamics. Because today, we live in a time where nothing can be taken for granted. Political stability, economic growth, and democratic norms can no longer be assumed as permanent achievements. At the global level, we are witnessing a worrying trend: revisionism is increasingly presented as normality. Diplomacy is being replaced by hostility. Respect for international rules is being replaced by the rule of the strongest. Violence is returning as a tool of politics. This shift undermines decades of collective effort to build multilateral institutions and peaceful mechanisms for conflict resolution. All of this can be summed up in one phrase: the weakening of the West’s institutional role—not “the West” as a place on the map, but as the political space of the free world. And by this, meaning: 1. An open economy that creates opportunitiesfor the many 2. Social justice that protects the vulnerable 3. Open societies and political liberalism thatdefend rights and the rule of law — the last line of defense for rationalism. These are not abstract concepts, but concrete political choices that determine how power is exercised and how societies remain cohesive. Instead, we see a dangerous shift towards authoritarianism. Governments that are elected democratically but govern without real checks and balances. Inequalities becoming permanent. Institutions growing weaker. And this is not something far away. It is happening here, around us, right in front of our eyes—often gradually and incrementally, making it harder to detect until democratic erosion is already advanced. Now, moving from the global picture to Greece, the path necessarily goes through Europe—and that is my second stop. Europe is the political space where Greece’s strategic interests, security concerns, and development priorities converge. On European soil, or very close to it, we have active wars and instability: in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and many others. We live in a difficult and unstable neighborhood. A region where geopolitical tensions, energy dependency, migration flows, and climate pressures intersect. And yet, despite setbacks, Europe remains the most successful peace project in human history—a project of growth and social justice. A continent that gave birth to two world wars, and still managed to turn competition into cooperation and conflict into institutions of solidarity and shared progress. That is why we cannot afford European inaction. We cannot afford a Europe that stands weak on the sidelines, trapped in bureaucracy. A Europe that is slow, lacking leadership, and—most importantly—lacking vision. This brings us to a critical question: do we want to return to national isolation, or do we need more European integration, more cooperation, and stronger, more direct democratic representation for our citizens? We clearly stand with the option of a much more politically unified Europe—what we could call today the United States of Europe. A Union capable of acting decisively while remaining democratically accountable. A Union that intervenes in markets, limits oligopolies, taxes extreme wealth, protects workers, and leads the green and digital transition. And now, I come to Greece. In this strong European core, Greece must be a leader—not a follower, not a spectator. Because today, Greece is facing major challenges that require long-term planning. The first and most urgent challenge is the climate crisis. It threatens our greatest national asset: our natural environment. Every summer we count burned forests, and every winter we count floods. The Mediterranean is warming 20% faster than the global average. We must understand that climate change is a matter of survival. The green transition is not politically neutral. Its cost cannot fall on the weakest. It will either be fair—or it will not happen at all. The second challenge is affordability—what I prefer to call quality of life. Food prices have risen more than 30% in four years, while wages remain far below the European average. This is the result of monopolies and oligopolies that dominate energy, food, banking, and telecommunications. Combined with an unfair tax system, this creates deep social injustice. Technology and AI could improve life, yet in Greece they often lead to extreme flexibility and low wages. Housing has become a social time bomb. Rents have risen by up to 40% in five years. Young people cannot live independently. Another challenge is our productive model. It remains dependent on tourism and imports. We invest less than 4% of GDP in education and only 1.4% in research. Productivity is 30% below the Eurozone average. And finally, there is the issue of trust in institutions. Independent authorities are weakened, transparency is lacking, and this leads to a deep crisis of democracy. Let me close by speaking directly to young people. There are two paths ahead: apathy—or action. The first is the path of anger and rejection. The second is the path of responsibility, participation, and change. I believe in the second path—not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. Let’s take the second one.