The Prime Minister and the Greek Government were represented by the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Domna Michailidou, at the anniversary celebrations for the 17th of March 1821, which took place in Areopolis, Laconia, commemorating the beginning of the Greek Revolution by the Maniathan fighters.
The Minister participated in the ceremonies held in the presence of representatives of the State, the Armed Forces, the Local Authorities and numerous citizens, paying tribute to the fighters of 1821 and the historical contribution of Mani in the struggle for freedom. It was the second time that Domna Michaelidou represented the Prime Minister at the Areopolis events, as she had attended in the same capacity in 2023.
Domna Michaelidou stood on the deeper significance of the anniversary, noting that in Areopolis not only a historical date is commemorated, but a decision of responsibility and a break with inaction. On March 17, 1821, in this place, people few in number but whole in will took a decision of no return, knowing not whether they would win, but that they could not continue otherwise.
This is, as the Minister stressed, the most essential dimension of the Greek Revolution: that it did not start from certainties, but from awareness. From a deep understanding that freedom is not the result of favourable conditions, but a choice that precedes them.
«Mani teaches us something that remains relevant: that freedom is not guaranteed once and for all. It requires constant vigilance, sobriety and, above all, unity. Not as a slogan, but as a conscious attitude towards the common interest’, Domna Michaelidou stressed.
The Minister also conveyed the Prime Minister's greeting to the residents of Mani, expressing the State's appreciation for a place that has linked its name with the most glorious moments of Greek history.
Domna Michaelidou pointed out that historical memory is not a formal reference to the past, but a constant point of reference for the choices of the present and the future, with Greece moving forward when it remains united and fully aware of the responsibility that accompanies its historical journey.
