On Wednesday, 26 May 2021, Her Excellency, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou attended the celebration of the 48th anniversary of the Navy’s Mutiny, organised by the Hellenic Navy General Staff, at the Naval Academy. The Deputy Minister of National Defence Alkiviadis Stefanis represented the President of the Hellenic Government.
The celebration was attended by MP of the Parliament of the 1st Electoral District of Piraeus (ND) Mr. Nikolaos Manolakos, Representing the Greek Parliament, the Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus and the Deputy Minister for Immigration and Asylum Mrs. Sophia Voultepsi.
The Parliament Parties were represented by MP of the Parliament of the 1st Electoral District of Piraeus Mr. Theodoros Dritsas (SYRIZA), the Heraklion MP Mr. Vasilios Kegeroglou (KINAL), the Rear Admiral (ret.) Mr. Giannis Douniadakis (KKE), the first runner-up MP of the 2nd Electoral District of Piraeus Mr. Nikolaos Soutas (ELLINIKI LYSI) and MP of the 2nd Electoral District of Piraeus Mrs. Fotini Bakadima (MERA25).
The HNDGS/Deputy Chief Vice Admiral Ioannis Drymousis, representing the HNDGS/Chief, the HAFGS/Chief Lieutenant General Georgios Blioumis, the HAGS/Chief Lieutenant General Charalambos Lalousis, the HNGS/Chief Vice Admiral Stylianos Petrakis and the Chief of the Port Police Corps-Hellenic Coastguard Vice Admiral Theodoros Kliaris also attended the celebration.
The celebration was also attended by the Honorary Rear Admiral Mr. Vardis Vardinogiannis and the UNESCO Good Will Ambassadress Mrs. Marianna Vardinogianni, President of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA”.
The Deputy Minister of National Defence stated the following in his address:
“Today, marks 48 years, since the mutiny against the Military Dictatorship (Junta), which remained known in history as the “Navy’s Mutiny”; a Mutiny that emerged from the Navy Officers, inspired by their democratic conscience and patriotic legacy.
In this mutiny, apart from the Navy’s members, members of the Army and the Air Force also participated, as well as civilians, representing every democratic member of the Armed Forces and the Greek people.
In a well-governed state, the duty, which is the moral obligation, must go hand in hand with the order, which is the legal command. A public official must have no dilemmas between these two principles, because they will have to converge. Their collision is the proof regarding the state’s and the institutions’ malfunctioning, which was a frequent phenomenon during the seven-year junta period. When duty and order collide, then there is a malfunctioning of the state and the institutions.
The Armed Forces have faith in Democracy and in their duty towards the Greek people, whose they are an integral part. The participants in the Navy’s Mutiny chose the duty based on what their democratic conscience imposed. This is exactly the lesson learned from that era, no matter how distant it appears.
Your Excellency Madam President,
During an unhindered course, which constitutes the longer period of normality in the recent history of the Greek State, it is our debt to pay tribute to those who risked their lives for freedom, equality and justice, so that we can, today, enjoy with dignity the goods of Democracy and human rights.
During an important for Hellenism crossroad regarding time and history, since we celebrate, this year, the 200 years from the 1821 Revolution, the rummage of such historic events of the past, like the Navy’s Mutiny, can only succeed under terms of strong unity and common sharing of ideas, overcoming the partial political differences and personal expediencies.
Greece undergoes, without doubt, a critical period, facing provocative behaviours, military power threats, illegal claims and dispute of its national sovereign rights.
Under these circumstances, the Country, with total respect to the legality, the laws of rules of the international law, the law of the sea and the EU Acquis, does not compromise regarding defending its national rights and chooses the road of diplomacy and dialogue.
The basic pillar of the Country’s national power are the modern, effective and powerful Armed Forces that guarantee –through the steady operational readiness, as well as their high combat and deterrent power-the security, prosperity and progress of the Greek people.
Concluding, I respectfully pay tribute to all the participants in the Navy’s Mutiny, both to those alive and dead. We have a debt towards them, as part of our collective self-conscience, to devote our selves unconditionally to the ideals of democracy and the selfless love for the Country”.
The HNGS/Chief also delivered an address and speeches were also delivered by the Professor of the History and Archaeology Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Mr. Evanthis Chatzivasiliou and the Vice Admiral (ret.) Ioannis Paloumbis.
