Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas offered a rare personal reflection on the toll of decades in politics, admitting in an interview with BHMAgazino magazine that he failed to be the husband and father he had hoped to be.
Asked directly whether he managed to fulfill those roles as he envisioned, Mr. Tasoulas answered with a single word: "No."
He said the demands of political life never allowed him to devote as much time as he wanted to his wife, Fani Stathopoulou, and their two children, Tasos and Magda, though he credited their understanding and support as a constant source of strength throughout his career.
Mr. Tasoulas also spoke about the changes that came with assuming Greece's highest office, saying he misses "the more informal participation in life" that existed before the protocol, security requirements and rigid scheduling of the presidency reshaped his daily routine.
He said he still holds onto simple habits, including walking, reading and genuine conversation with people, which he considers essential to staying connected to society.
On the state of Greek politics, Mr. Tasoulas was sharply critical, saying political life today "is limited to accusation and conflict, rather than a contest of achievement." He argued that politics should return to substance over image, warning that public life has increasingly rewarded style over action.
He also addressed Greece's enduring institutional distrust, tracing it to the country's 2010s debt crisis, and called for a definitive end to Greece's patronage-based political system as the country's most urgent structural reform.
Reflecting on July 24, the anniversary of Greece's return to democracy in 1974, Mr. Tasoulas linked the date to the national trauma of Cyprus, calling the strengthening of Hellenism and reversing the consequences of the 1974 invasion an enduring, non-negotiable national goal.
Asked how he hopes to be remembered, Mr. Tasoulas offered a simple answer: "He was a serious man."