Editorial: Zealots of vested interests

The newspaper you are holding in your hands was first published in February, 1922, a few months prior to the Asia Minor Catastrophe, by a narrow circle of intellectuals supporting statesman Eleftherios Venizelos with a view to contributing to the rebirth of the nation and the post-war reconstruction of the country.

It was the initiative of strong urban bourgeois personalities who saw what was coming and hastened to create a beacon based on ideas and concepts that could transmit to the country the unalloyed and unfulfilled principles and values of urban democratic modernisation.

Eleftheron Vima and its successor To Vima was ever since it was established at the centre of political tensions and clashes and confronted persecution, diversionary tactics, attempts at censorship and attacks from reactionaries.
In the near century it has been published, it was opposed by kings, prime ministers, those revolting and other self-interested exploiters, economic and otherwise, who could not endure the newspaper's principles and its checks on power.

It went through a lot at times and finally survived and monitored earth-shattering crises and ruptures and unprecedented events over many decades.

Despite much adversity, it did not shift and remained faithful to the principles and values of the great democratic urban liberal party which were conceived of and promoted by the founder of contemporary Greece - Eleftherios Venizelos.

During the last years of the great economic crisis it was tried and tested and sought after by political and business interests.

The government of Mr Tsipras wanted To Vima and Ta Nea as propaganda tools in its hands, the booty and symbol of occupation of the broader democratic part...