ATHENS – The past year was a difficult one for Greece and the entire world, with the coronavirus pandemic suspending normalcy in life, President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou said on Friday in her New Year’s message.

But, she added, “we must not forget we are not alone or unprotected; mass vaccination is the most effective defense, especially before the heavy and dangerous aspect of the disease.”

Sakellaropoulou said this was an era of “endless possibilities and painful contrasts” and noted that society’s digital transformations cancels restrictions of location and frees the global networks of education and labor, creating new forms of socialness and familiarity. It is “a demanding environment of multiple choices and social mobility, under cosmopolitan conditions that create unprecedented challenges, experiences and opportunities, and establish a joint, almost universal, way of life.”

At the same time, however, inequalities are becoming sharper and certainties in our beliefs are shaken. The economic crises tested the country’s ability to bolster more vulnerable groups, and some of the other challenges included the migration issue, the catastrophic summer fires, and sexual harassment and violence against women.

“In the insecurities of the times, our democracy puts forward its historical depth and its cohesion,” Sakellaropoulou said, while the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence “reminded us of the endless power of unity and solidarity,” which historically and despite the obstacles has proven to succeed.

“Greece is a high-expectations society, open and inclusive,” the Greek president said, and does not discriminate or exclude. “This is the firm ground on which our great prospects take root in and develop as “Greeks follow and contribute to formulating the powerful trand of changes in the 21st century.” Highlighting that 2022 will be a year of optimism and uplifting, the Greek president expressed her best wishes for the year to come.