ATHENS, October 24. /TASS/. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has warned the European Union that the populism of its politicians, the lack of leadership, and sustainable institutions may drive it to collapse, as once happened to Classical Athens and Alexander the Great’s Empire.

According to the top Greek diplomat, today’s system of international law and international politics is very vulnerable. "I am afraid of three things," he said at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. "First, I am afraid that Europe, along with the entire international system, may suffer the same fate as Classical Athens, the so-called Athens Syndrome. Athens was a much stronger state than Sparta. But why then did it fall? Because they succumbed to the populism of demagogues represented by [Ancient Greek historian] Thucydides. And since today populism is the last resort used by those who have suffered or want to seize power illegally, the biggest threat is always inside us. And for Europe, this threat is coming from within."

"The second threat is a fall like that of Alexander the Great’s empire, i.e., due to the lack of leadership or sustainable institutions," he went on to say. "Regrettably, we don’t see sustainable institutions today, we see general institutional decay, as well as a deficit of leadership at international forums. Institutions are needed to preserve peace and prosperity. Any institutional gaps will be filled by those who want to exploit them. That is why we must not forget the importance of sustainable institutions," he emphasized.

"And, naturally, the third threat is the fall of the former regime, which has been toppled by rival ideologies. Ideologies, which emerge and spread everywhere literally in no time, may serve as a psychological lever to devaluate institutional values. This ideological struggle may lead to serious problems for those who rely on values," he noted.

According to Gerapetritis, this picture of international politics is not very optimistic, but Greece continues to support international law. "Because international law is the basis on which international order may be built. Today, order is more important than anything else," he added.