Evidently emotionally charged, the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, addressed a funeral speech saying goodbye to one of his closest associates, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Zeta Emilianidou, at the Holy Temple of God Soph in Strovolos.
The President said that he would be ignorant if he failed to state publicly that his vision for a welfare state would never have been possible without the seal of Zeta Aimilianidou. He referred to the dimension of a personality who throughout his active presence, either in the Public Service or in the political system of the country, was distinguished for his morals, honesty, hard work, high sense of responsibility combined with perseverance and her strong personality allowed her to be creative and highly effective. He also listed various reforms and policies that were implemented with the contribution of Zeta Aimilianidou.
Read the moving funeral speech of the President of the Republic:
My dear Zeta,
The only act that made me angry, during all our long-standing friendship and cooperation, was what you imposed on me today.
To address, not to have your precious counterpart, but to say goodbye to you in monologue, expressing on the one hand the sadness and the universal shock for your unfortunate loss and on the other hand the deep gratitude for what you have offered to me, our Government, but most importantly, to our people and our country.
I would like my Zeta to forgive me because I will add my own testimony to the countless tributes, articles and comments that have been written or said since the day of the announcement of your death, not only by friends, but also by the entire political leadership and especially ordinary citizens, regardless of ideological tendencies.
And I ask you to forgive me, because I know well the modesty and humility that were among the most important features of a charismatic personality like you.
But in a last farewell how I can omit what I feel as a person, what I experienced as President from the long and flawless cooperation between us.
How can I not refer to the wealth of work that you leave behind. p>
How ignorant I would be if I failed to publicly state that my vision of a welfare state would never have been possible without your personal stamp.
How can I not capture the grief of your colleagues in the Ministry Council, of your collaborators in the Ministry, the shock of the ordinary citizens because, as a morning newspaper wrote, “the best Minister left”, or as they themselves wrote “the Minister of the poor left”.
But at the same time how can I not refer to the inconsolable, your son Achilles, his wife Hera, your beloved granddaughter Chloe, your brothers Mary and Doros.
And if for all of us your death causes grief, for our homeland it is an unfulfilled loss.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
What has been written and said these days about our Zeta, is neither accidental nor the usual posthumous comments attributed to a deceased, since “the dead are justified”.
On the contrary. capture and render the dimension of a personality that throughout its active presence. either in the Public Service or in the political system of the country, she was distinguished for her morals, honesty, hard work, high sense of responsibility which, combined with her perspicacity and strong personality, allowed her to be creative and highly effective. >
Equally important, despite her achievements, she remained a modest, exuberantly human, a real and respected Lady.
I have had the honor of working with this personality since assuming the Presidency, until the day he passed away.
I am proud of this Lady and her work.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would be unforgivably unforgivable if I remained in what flatters are completely identical with the man and Minister Zeta Emilianidou.
I would like to remind you that despite the successive crises faced by the citizens and our country, and in contrast to what took place in other countries, Cyprus has experienced labor peace for the last nine years.
This was not only due to the measures adopted by the Government and with its own contribution, but also thanks to its ability to communicate gently, to avoid conflicts, but also to understand the problems and differences between employers and employees. >
However, it is not only the workers' peace that has distinguished the course of the country so far. It was also the need for the state to meet its obligations to the citizens, especially the vulnerable groups of the population, it was the need to build an effective welfare state.
To achieve the above goal, its presence Zetas was decisive.
As I mentioned above, my vision of a welfare state would never have been possible without its personal stamp.
And if there is one thing that weighs me down, my Zeta, it is that one day before the press conference that was scheduled for the activities of your Ministry and what constitutes your legacy for the welfare state, you were beaten with a fatal test.
As a minimum tribute I feel the need to justify how genuine and true what has been attributed to you these days, citing only some of those who founded the welfare state.
Reforms and policies such as:
< p> 1. The introduction of the Minimum Guaranteed Income,
2. The Minimum Guaranteed Pension for everyone below the poverty line,
3. Institutionalization of the woman's right to maternity leave for a child acquired by a surrogate mother,
4. Widowhood for men,
5. Parental leave with earnings,
6. Right to a pension for thalassaemics from the age of fifty,
7. Establishment of Disability Assessment Centers,
8. Institutionalization of Christmas Allowance for low-income retirees, mothers with many children, recipients of public assistance and those trapped,
9. Restoration of mother allowance,
10. The creation of the House of Supported Living for People with Severe Disabilities, the House of the Child, the House of the Woman and others.
What I want to assure you is that your project will be completed with the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, the reform of the pension system and parental leave.
My dear Zeta ,
It is for what we all feel proud of, it is for what those loved ones can boast about behind you.
Today, when you leave to meet your husband, your Constantine, you can now be calm. p>
Quiet as a devoted mother, colleague and friend, but above all as a citizen who served man.
Quiet because your passage to eternity will remain as bright as your path in life.
A journey that you can be sure will make an example and a beacon of our own path.
Have a good trip my dear friend, our beloved Zeta.
- Exciting funeral speeches were uttered by close associates of the Minister of Labor, who praised the ethos, honesty, philanthropy, hard work and human character of Zeta Aimilianidou. The burial will take place in the cemetery of Konstantinos and Eleni in Pallouriotissa.
Photos from the funeral of the Minister of Labor:
