Panos Laskaridis, one of the most high-profile representatives of Greek and European shipping, resigned from the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) on Tuesday after a furore caused over statements he made in a documentary last month.
Trying to get across the point that Greek shipping does not depend on the country's lawmakers or its economy, Laskaridis used language that several of his colleagues and much of the Greek press found insulting towards their home country and its leaders.
“People who are in shipping don’t need the Greek government, don’t need the [shipping] ministry, don’t need the [International Maritime Organization], don’t need the [Greek] prime minister, they can shit on the prime minister, they have no need of the prime minister,” he was taped as saying.
Laskaridis, a long-standing member of the UGS board who also served as president of the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA), is known for his outspoken views but several of his colleagues thought that this time he went too far.
UGS president Theodore Veniamis on 24 May issued a statement to “unequivocally condemn” what he described as “unacceptable” statements. Laskaridis’ own brother Thanassis, co-founder of the Laskaridis Shipping group, also publicly distanced himself from his sibling.
The affair struck a raw nerve with public opinion, especially the parts that have been critical towards the country’s shipping community and the tax privileges it enjoys. Pro-opposition media also attacked Greece's conservative government, accusing it of failing to respond forcibly to Laskaridis' statements.
Relations between the Greek government, its people and its shipping community have been close but tricky over the past decades and Laskaridis’ statements were seen risking to potentially upset them.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Laskaridis acknowledged he “unwittingly” used “foul language” and said he promptly apologised to both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and shipping minister Yiannis Plakiotakis.
In the same breath, however, Laskaridis called the whole affair a "farce", accused the journalists who interviewed him of misusing his quote and castigated shipowning colleagues he did not identify for using his statements to “settle accounts” with him.
“Under these circumstances, I refuse to continue to serve the UGS under its current chairmanship,” he said, adding that his patriotism and respect for the country's institutions are a well-known fact.
The UGS board, in which several big Greek shipowners have a seat, such as Ioanna Procopiou, Harry Vafias, John Dragnis and Costis Constantakopoulos, promptly responded to Laskaridis’ statement late on Tuesday, and unanimously accepted his resignation.
“The board… expressed its deep disappointment and disapproval of the fact that Mr Laskaridis refuses to admit that his resignation was obviously the result of the unprecedented situation he himself caused, with the statements that he made and which came to light,” the UGS board statement said.
