Speech by President Barroso at the Opening ceremony of the Greek Presidency / Greece bets on EU presidency to help regain credibility

Text of a speech by José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, at the Opening ceremony of the Greek Presidency in Athens, 8 January 2014.

Greece took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from Lithuania on 1 Januray 2014. The priorities of the 5th Greek presidency of the Council include: growth, jobs and social cohesion; further integration of the EU and the euro area; migration, borders and mobility; and maritime policy.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso have showed solidarity against what Samaras calls his "anti-EU" political enemies.

• Primary Source

European Commission: RAPID: Speech, SPEECH/14/4: Statement by President Barroso following the College visit to Athens for the start of the Greek presidency http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-4_en.pdf

ESO: Background Information: Greece: EU Presidency, January - June 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/greece-eu-presidency-january-june-2014/

ESO: Background information: Lithuania to hand over EU Council presidency to Greece http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-lithuania-to-hand-over-eu-council-presidency-to-greece/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/14/5: Intervention by Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Council at the official opening ceremony of the Greek EU Presidency http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140310.pdf

Council of the European Union: Press Relese, PRES/14/4: Statement by President Herman Van Rompuy after his meeting with Prime Minister of Greece Antonis Samaras http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140309.pdf

EurActiv, 08.01.14: Greece bets on EU presidency to help regain credibility http://www.euractiv.com/eu-elections-2014/greece-bets-regaining-credibilit-news-532648

EUObserver, 08.01.14: Greece hoping for peaceful launch of EU presidency http://euobserver.com/news/122654

EUObserver, 08.01.14: Approval of EU leadership lowest in Greece http://euobserver.com/political/122660

Deutsche Welle, 09.01.14: Protest in Athens as EU marks Greece presidency http://dw.de/p/1AncJ

EUObserver, 09.01.14: Samaras and Barroso show solidarity on 'anti-EU' parties http://euobserver.com/political/122662

Euronews, 09.01.14: Anti-EU protesters give Commissioners warm welcome in Athens for EU handover ceremony http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/09/anti-eu-protesters-give-commissioners-warm-welcome-in-athens-for-eu-handover-/

The Guardian, 08.01.14: Greece begins EU presidency by saying austerity policies are intolerable http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/08/greece-begins-eu-presidency-austerity-intolerable

Chronos, 01.01.14: Athens won't exploit EU presidency (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/results/archiv_article/ARTICLE135854-Athens-won-t-exploit-EU-presidency

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