The Greek Prime Minister, who in his acceptance speech said, among other things, that “this award belongs to the Greek people for their endurance and perseverance”, was presented with the award by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourle.

“This award belongs most of all to the people of Greece for their resilience and their perseverance.”

“What we have achieved in Greece is to show that one can govern from the political centre. That you can be pro-growth but also fiscally responsible. That you can be, and here the words of my good friend Georgia Meloni resonate, a true patriot, focusing on strong defence and border protection, while at the same time being socially liberal, providing high quality public goods and reducing inequalities.”
The prime minister said his government’s re-election was a response to the way in which populism can be defeated.

“The grievances of people who vote for populists are absolutely real, whether they relate to income inequality, identity issues or the consequences of globalisation – the winners and the losers. These are real grievances and we need to be very careful in addressing them and certainly not appear to be disparaging to the concerns of ordinary people. Our government’s emphasis is on policy not politics. It is our responsibility as leaders to find solutions and we will be judged by how much we have improved the lives of our citizens,” he said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to Greek-American relations, stressing that “Greece is a stable ally of the United States and a pillar of security and stability in a turbulent region.”

As Albert Bourla said of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he is “a visionary champion of a new era of economic prosperity, a leader dedicated to his country who has won the trust of the Greeks. A humble leader whose re-election has shown that he keeps his political promises while commanding the respect of world leaders.”