by George Logothetis
Squares and streets are named after him and he is an honorary citizen of the village of Mochos in Crete where he used to vacation.
George Logothetis, writer and journalist, who himself was an immigrant in Sweden (1965-1988), got to know Palme through his work as a journalist on Swedish TV and as an active member in the fight against the Greek junta. In the following TV program, Georgios Logothetis talks with Olof Palme, about, among other things, the importance of immigrants, about his friend Mikis Theodorakis and about Turkey having to withdraw its troops from Cyprus.
George Logothetis helped implement the idea for the creation of the OLOF PALME MUSEUM in the village of Mochos in Crete, near Heraklion, where Palme chose to rest and vacation. About the museum and the inauguration that took place on June 3rd, 2023, George Logothetis wrote the following article for our website.
OLOF PALME MUSEUM in Crete!
By George Logothetis
June 3rd, 2023. An important day for the village of Mochos in Crete and for all of Greece. In this Cretan village, a worldwide unique museum was inaugurated. The Olof Palme Museum! This museum may not have the grandeur that some larger museums have. But inside its humble space, visitors can feel and take part in Olof Palme’s enormous legacy, as well as gain the strength to continue working with his work in their own way.
A group of residents, led by the late Theofilos Souranakis, aimed to create a museum in the village to honour the memory of the great politician and visionary Olof Palme.
The idea was implemented by the association Friends of OLOF PALME, which is led by Manolis Zervakis.
For background history on the matter and the progress during the event see https://www.ertnews.gr/perifereiakoi-stathmoi/iraklio/moxos-to-agnosto-xorio-tou-oulof-palme-stin-kriti-apektise-mouseio -gia-to -spoudaio-souido-prothypourgo-video/
I myself presented a video from Palme’s funeral in Stockholm where Arja Saijonmaa, his family and all of Sweden said goodbye to Palme in front of the entire world’s leaders, with Mikis Theodorakis’ song “O KAIMOS”, in Swedish translation and with the title “SÅNG FÖR FRIHET” (“SONG FOR FREEDOM”).
A unique video documentary was also shown about how the villagers mourned “their own Olof…”.
A few days after Palme’s murder, I received a few minutes short amateur film from Crete. This short film showed the reaction of the residents of the village of Mochos when news broke of the tragic loss of “villager” Palme, as Palme had already been named an honorary citizen of the village.
The contents were shocking. I immediately went to the news manager at Sveriges Television (Sweden’s Television) and when he saw it, he said to me: “Out of everything we have in our archive about Palme and of everything that has come to us from abroad, this is the most important!”
He was particularly impressed by the statements of the little children, the priest, Theophilos Souranakis, Anthousa Papageorgiou and the wailing of the women which reminded me, as he said, of “ancient Greek tragedy”.
The video of the Greek broadcast with journalist Kiki Angeli, which was also shown on Swedish TV, follows:
In my speech at the Museum’s opening, I informed about my decision to donate the publication rights to the book I wrote about Palme’s life and work with the title “OLOF PALME: Politics is a matter of principle” to the Museum. A proposal that was immediately accepted by Manolis Zervakis, President of the Association of Friends of OLOF PALME, and the Regional Governor of Crete, Mr. Arnaoutakis, with the assurance that the Region of Crete will continue to publish the book in more editions.
At the event, Fotini Charalambidou read a message from Palme’s close associate, former Swedish foreign minister and for 25 years president of the OLOF PALME FOUNDATION, Pierre Schori: “I was lucky to be one of Olof Palme’s close associates. Together with him, I experienced his pioneering actions in all the areas where Palme left his indelible mark. What characterized Palme was his honesty and consistent political speeches. It was his passion for peace and freedom! A passion without limits that brought him face to face with the superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. With the same passion he faced dictatorial regimes in Athens, Spain, Portugal, Africa and Latin America. With Palme, Sweden defended great human values and was recognized by the weak as the West’s conscious expression against injustice. In our troubled times, Olof Palme’s work and principles are the beacon against the darkness that threatens world peace.
The OLOF PALME MUSEUM in Crete will be a beacon of optimism to always keep the timeless values that Olof left behind. And it is no coincidence that this unique museum was created in Crete, the island with which Palme had developed special relations, always emphasizing the Cretans’ struggle for freedom. Freedom, which for Palme is the highest human ideal. A big thank you to everyone who worked on the implementation of the idea honouring Palme, Sweden, Crete and the friendly country Greece.” Pierre Schori
Regional Governor S. Arnaoutakis referred to the collaboration with the association “Olof Palme’s friends” for the completion of the museum, which “establishes Crete’s position in the cultural and modern political history” emphasizing the following: “Palme remains in all our memory as a unique leading personality which still today communicates with history. Versatile, visionary. A big chapter for the European realization. Through his close friendship with Andreas Papandreou, his historical ties to Crete and Greece remain strong. With this in mind, we assure you that the Palme Museum in Mochos will keep alive the values and legacy of the great leader of modern Europe.”
Joakim Palme, professor of political science at Uppsala University, spoke emotionally in his own speech about the family’s special relations with Crete, about Palme’s support for the resistance to the junta and about Palme’s fight for world peace: “It is with great joy that I stand here, at the only the museum in the world that bears my father’s name. And I am honoured that my father’s memory lives on in Crete. That is why I feel at home here in Mochos. Every time I come I meet people who had met and drank tsikoudia with my father, as I also do during the Cretan festivities held in Mochos, as for example tonight. A big thank you to everyone who made the vision come true and to all of you who travelled to Mochos to experience this wonderful moment…”.
Palme and his work were mentioned by the representative of the church, the mayor, all speakers who emphasized known and unknown aspects, such as Manolis Zervakis on Palme’s holidays in Crete, the former prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou, the president of PASOK-KINAL N. Androulakis, and Nikos Papadopoulos, former member of parliament in the Swedish Parliament, etc.
Composer Giorgos Andreou, artist Korina Legaki and the music and dance group Mochos Cultural Association participated in the event pro bono.
Here are some of Olof Palme’s main principles:
* Our fight is not against wealth but against poverty.
* The cost of half a day’s military spending is enough to eradicate malaria from the entire earth.
* To realize our goals, we seek cooperation and joint action. Cooperation with other political forces regardless of whether we do not agree on everything. And we are always ready to make concessions to achieve goals in the public interest.
* The implementation of political ideas is not just a matter for experts. It is a question for all of us. If politics is left only to politicians, then politics dies and society will be left behind.
* Striving for equality looks like a revolutionary movement. When citizens receive equality, they can develop their potential and together constantly change society.
* If we stop being visionary, if we stop creating goals, if we stop reform, then all our efforts will be wasted and with it our moral and ideological power will be lost.
* Politicians should take our responsibility without counting the political cost.
* Only a healthy economy can support political reforms.
* In our country there are those who are financially comfortable. Who are planning vacations in exotic countries. But at the same time, we have people who live in difficult conditions. Citizens who have problems with health and mobility. That’s why we say the fight for social justice never ends!
* Freedom presupposes a feeling of security. If there is concern about the future, if there is a problem with work, then freedom is a concept without content.
* A free man acts with dignity. Respects the environment and fights for its protection. Respects diversity, minority rights, immigrants. He respects the rules of democracy.
* Democracy assumes that the person in power serves the public interest.
* We know the difficulties and problems and have a sense of our potential. But we enter the future with tools, knowledge, faith and our debt to those who have fought for the great visions, and to the new generations to come after us. This debt should never be considered heavy for us.
* Politics means wanting something and implementing it! Politics is a matter of principles.
Note: Yiannis Markakis, secretary of the association FRIENDS OF OLOF PALME, is chairman of the Folk Museum of Crete “Lychnostatis” (1992 -2015) https://www.lychnostatis.gr/
A unique museum; Markakis and his family are well served all kinds of praise for its founding and now running it exemplary.
In the picture Yannis Markakis and Joakim Palme.
Some views on the book by Giorgos Logothetis
OLOF PALME: POLITICS IS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE
I hope that George Logotheti’s book will strengthen a creative dialogue in Greece, which is suffering from the multifaceted crisis that is plaguing the country, for which we feel great solidarity.
Jean-Pierre Olov Schori Honorary Chairman of the Olof Palme Memorial Fund, Minister for Aid and Migration and Sweden’s UN Ambassador 2000–2004.
Today we need to turn our memory and our thinking towards politicians like Olof Palme. The book “OLOF PALME, Politics is a matter of principle”, especially now when the whole of Europe is in the middle of a terrible crisis, is an absolutely necessary and great testimony.
Leonidas Grigorakos, former Vice President of the Greek Parliament
Olof Palme was not only an exemplary leader. He is the politician who created the “School of Politics”. The book must become a “goal” for our people, for politicians. We who read it express our gratitude to him for the window he opened for us on paths that lead to hope.
Ekaterini Tenta-Latifi, Writer-researcher
Palme is the hero of our youth. Raised in a middle-class and rich family, he resented the injustices and looked for the third way. He is the man who even today in our difficult times shows the way, at least for those who seek such solutions.
Giorgos Vernikos, leader of the anti-dictatorship struggle, founder of GRENPEACE Greece.
In the difficult times we live in, the book about Olof Palme gives us the opportunity to reflect and learn about democracy, from special people who were and continue to be role models for us all.
Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens
It is worth mentioning
Here are some facts mentioned in the announcement by Manolis Zervakis, President of the Association of Friends of OLOF PALME in Crete.
PALME IS HONOURED – on CRETE!
So reads the headline in Sweden’s weekly newspaper, Icakuriren. It is one of the most read weekly newspapers in the country.
It mentions, among other things: This is where Olof Palme had his secret hiding place, in the small village of Mochos in Crete. – Olof experienced incredible warmth and respect from the Greeks, says son Joakim Palme. Now a new museum has opened in the village to honour the Swedish politician.
Honorary citizen, an important reason for the warm reception of the Cretans was Olof Palme’s enormous commitment to the Greek opposition during the years of the military junta. The politician Andreas Papandreou, his son George, Melina Merkouri and Mikis Theodorakis were just some of the exiles who became Palme’s friends. But ordinary Greeks also loved the Swedish social democrat…
On June 3rd this year, the new museum was inaugurated. There is a large amount of photos from the Palme family’s stays here, but also a broad and elaborate exhibition about Olof’s many years of political life and aspirations.
The museum in Mochos was created by the association “Olof Palme’s friends”. The chairman is the Greek Manolis Zervakis, who is also responsible for the museum.
Joakim Palme donated his father’s party shoes and a pair of trousers to the museum. The shoes accompanied him every year in Crete. These are the shoes and pants he wore when he became an honorary citizen.
The above writing has been sent to us by the Olof Palme Memorial Fund in Stockholm.
We were also informed that a journalist from Sweden’s State Television will contact us later about a travelogue that will highlight the Olof Palm Museum. We have high expectations for these plans.
And this is just the beginning!!!
