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Running with Pigs in Europe

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Interviewing the Deputy Prime Minister of Greece

Compared with the spectacular office buildings of Chinese government agencies, European government buildings are too modest. I did not expect to meet Mr. Theodoros Pangalos, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece, in such a small building near Athens's Parliament Square.

Accompanied by a Greek international media liaison officer, I was not subject to a complex security screening. The security guard only examined my passport and then let me in. After waiting for several minutes, I met Theodoros Pangalos, a born political figure whose grandfather was General Theodoros Pangalos, a former dictator that once helped overthrow the first president of the Hellenic Republic of Greece.

Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos started his political career in 1967 when he was actively involved in the military dictatorship in power. In 1968, his Greek citizenship was taken away by the government, but in 1981, after the former regime had fallen, Theodoros Pangalos, a PASOK Party (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) member, was elected as a member of parliament and was reappointed consecutively in this position until 2004. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 1999 and was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister in 2009.

Pangalos is famous for his outspokenness. Earlier this year, on responding to Germany's unwillingness to aid Greece and criticizms about Greece's abuse of credit, he stated, "They [the Nazis] took away the Greek gold that was in the Bank of Greece, they took away the Greek money and they never gave it back," and thus had no right blame Greece, which triggered a verbal conflict between the two countries.
To show respect to the Deputy Prime Minister, I wore a suit that day, only to find Mr.Pangalos in a blue polo shirt. His office was spacious and cool.

He was studying this year's budget when I came in. He asked me to sit down in front of his desk.
The interview lasted for an hour, focusing on Greece's economy, society and Chinese investment.

Mr.Pangalos quoted various statistics to prove his views. Despite noisy construction taking place nearby, our conversation went smoothly.

After the interview, Mr. Pangalos gave me a tour of his office. A painting by Theodore Vryzakis, a famous Greek painter, grabbed my attention. It is called the sortie of Messologhi and depicts how the citizens of Messologhi fought against the Ottoman Empire. Even today, the relationship between Greece and Turkey is still influenced by this history.

"Of course, this is only a copy. The real one is in the National Museum," Pangalos said.

When we were out of Pangalos's office, the international media liaison officer asked me whether my interview was successful. I replied that it was as I had gotten many wonderful quotes and distinct points of view. He smiled at me and said, "Yes, reporters love Mr.Pangalos."

 

This article was translated by Tang Xiangyang


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