The President of the Republic Constantine Tasoulas visited Astros in the Municipality of North Kynouria to celebrate the 203rd anniversary of the Second National Assembly.
Mr. Tasoulas attended the praise service presided over by His Eminence, Metropolitan Epiphanios of Mantinea and Kynouria and was followed by the delivery of the solemn speech by Professor Emeritus of Political Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Dmitris Charalampi.
Afterwards, the President of the Republic placed a wreath at the sacred site of the Second National Assembly and made a statement, stressing that “the constitutional, this institutional heritage, which comes from the Revolution of 1821, explains to us in the best way why our supreme institutional edifice, our constitution, is one of the most advanced and most liberal in Europe and the whole world”.
In particular, Tasoulas said: ““In the Greek territory, no human being is sold or bought”. It is the most emblematic provision of the Law of Epidaurus, the new constitution passed 203 years ago here in Astros, by the Second National Assembly, by the representatives of the Greeks, who were fighting for their freedom, but also preparing this freedom institutionally at the same time.
We had other pioneering provisions that established freedom of the press, established the right to petition, established the fair trial, but at the same time it was decided to abolish local polities. Thus the new constitution applies uniformly to the struggling Greek territory. This new reality, this constitutional heritage, this institutional heritage, which comes from the 1821 Revolution, explains in the best way why our supreme institutional structure, our constitution, is one of the most advanced and most liberal in Europe and in the whole world.
The Second National Assembly, held here in Astros, was indeed the most important event of the first half of 1823. It confirmed in a full way the devotion of our ancestors to their political existence and to their independence. And this struggle that they fought for our institutional and national re-growth, against the Ottoman yoke, had as its high point what happened here in Astros in 1823, the Second National Assembly and the Constitution of Astros!”
After the parade of students and clubs, Mr. Tasoulas toured the archaeological site of the Herod Atticus Mansion.
