Brian Topp
Encyclopedia
Brian Topp is a Canadian political strategist, union leader, and writer
. He is a candidate for the federal leadership of the NDP
. He currently serves as the president of the federal New Democratic Party
, is the Director of Information Services at ACTRA
(the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) and the Executive Director and CEO of ACTRA Toronto. Born in Longueuil
, Quebec
, Topp is fluent in both of Canada's official languages. He is married to Rebecca Elbourne, with whom he has two sons.
on Montreal
's south shore
. In addition to Montreal, Topp later lived in Ottawa
, Regina
, Toronto
, and Vancouver
at various points in his life. His mother was a francophone
Québécoise and his father was an anglophone from the Eastern Townships
. Topp's father occasionally lectured at the McGill School of Commerce
during the 1970s. In 1993, Topp married Rebecca Elbourne with whom he has two sons. The family has an orange cat named Tigger, purported by Topp to be more charismatic than Stephen Harper
. His wife ran unsuccessfully as an NDP candidate in previous elections, as did his mother-in-law. Following the NDP's breakthrough in 2011, Topp jokingly said, "Too bad they didn't run this time."
in the Longueuil borough of Saint-Hubert
for his secondary education. He studied social sciences at Champlain Regional College
, a CEGEP
in the Montreal-area suburb of Saint-Lambert
, from 1977 to 1979. He was the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, and was elected to the College Board of Governors where he served on the executive committee. In 1979 he enrolled at Montreal's McGill University
where he studied history and political science. While at McGill he was a senior news editor with the McGill Daily, and a member of the Scarlet Key Honour Society. As a reporter for the McGill Daily in 1981 Topp asked Bob Rae
-- then an NDP Member of Parliament
-- a "disrespectful question" and, in Topp's words, Rae "blew his stack." Topp also interviewed René Lévesque
, which he called "without any question the most intimidating 10 minutes that I've ever had in my life." In 1983 Topp founded Studio Apostrophe, a graphic design and typesetting company which produced Open City Magazine (a publication described as a precursor to the Montreal Mirror
), for which Topp served as editor-in-chief. While running his print shop, Topp was introduced to the NDP by friends of his who came seeking printing services. One of his clients was Phil Edmonston
, whom Topp would later aid in his successful campaign to become an NDP MP.
. Topp was active with the NDP in Quebec long before their political breakthrough in 2011; Topp first campaigned for the NDP during a 1985 provincial byelection in Montreal. He later said that they "had a big party afterwards, dancing on tables even, because we increased our vote from one per cent to two per cent." He became active with the federal NDP during the 1988 election campaign, and first went to work in Ottawa in 1990 as an aide to Montreal-area NDP MP Phil Edmonston, whom he had helped become the first elected Quebec MP in NDP history.
to Premier Roy Romanow
from 1993 to 2000. In 1999 he helped to keep a minority NDP government in power by striking a coalition
agreement with the Liberals. The coalition governed for four years until the NDP regained a majority in 2003.
during the 2011 federal election campaign, and was intimately involved in negotiating the attempted Liberal-NDP coalition
agreement during the 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
. Topp wrote about this experience in his memoir, How We Almost Gave the Tories the Boot: The Inside Story Behind the Coalition. He also served as an adviser to former Toronto Mayor David Miller
during his successful election campaign in 2003
. Topp has been recruited by Adrian Dix
to manage the British Columbia New Democratic Party's campaign in the fall 2011 provincial election.
He became president of the New Democratic Party of Canada in June 2011. When elected to the position, Jack Layton said of him, "[he's] one of the most principled and hard-working people I know. He’s been an integral part of our team for years and is just the person we need to bring us to the next level."
Although Topp is well-respected for his negotiation skills and has spoken in favour of cooperation between the NDP and the Liberals
, he has rejected a merger of the parties, saying, "We don’t have to become Liberals to win office."
in an Ottawa press conference with supporters Françoise Boivin
, MP for Gatineau
, and former NDP leader Ed Broadbent. Boivin had previously considered running herself, and Ed Broadbent had endorsed Jack Layton's candidacy for the leadership in 2003. Topp's name had been circulated as a leading candidate shortly following the death of his friend and colleague, Jack Layton. Dawn Black
, former leader of the opposition
in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
, previously endorsed Topp's candidacy for the NDP leadership.
Simon Fraser University
professor Doug McArthur accused Topp's campaign of using “a kind of pushy, almost bullying, operation,” and noted the similarity to the aggressive tactics that were used by Paul Martin
organizers in order to win the leadership of the federal Liberals in 2003. McArthur suggested that “The strategy of the Topp machine is to run over every candidate before they have a chance to really get going”, quoting one of Topp's staffers who stated "let’s get this leadership campaign over before it even starts", and pointing to the campaign efforts to discourage Romeo Saganash
from running. Prospective candidate, Peter Julian denied that pressure was applied to him, saying the candidates have "very cordial relationships among all of us."
, a co-chair of FilmOntario, and a member of the board of directors for ROI Fund.
Topp is the author of How We Almost Gave the Tories the Boot: The Inside Story Behind the Coalition, a memoir about his experiences attempting to broker a coalition between the NDP and the Liberals to take down PM Stephen Harper
's Conservative government. The book details the negotiations that he engaged in with Stéphane Dion
, Michael Ignatieff
, Jack Layton, Dawn Black, Ed Broadbent, Jean Chrétien
, Roy Romanow and Allan Blakeney
. The book was nominated by Samara
and the Writers' Trust of Canada
as one of the "Best Canadian Political Books of the Last 25 Years."
Topp also writes a column for the Globe and Mail. In one piece, he argued against supporting tax cuts with debt and supported the deep government spending cuts of the PASOK-led government in Greece
, writing, "the root causes of all of this madness needs to be addressed in the style Prime Minister Papandreou
is using to address the crisis here in Greece."
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is a candidate for the federal leadership of the NDP
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
. He currently serves as the president of the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, is the Director of Information Services at ACTRA
ACTRA
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media. It has 22,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media....
(the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) and the Executive Director and CEO of ACTRA Toronto. Born in Longueuil
Longueuil
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Topp is fluent in both of Canada's official languages. He is married to Rebecca Elbourne, with whom he has two sons.
Personal life
Brian Topp was born in Longueuil, Quebec, and grew up in neighbouring Saint-LambertSaint-Lambert, Quebec
Saint-Lambert is a Canadian city in the province of Quebec located opposite Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Lambert was named for either the early French Canadian hunter Lambert Closse or for Roman Catholic Bishop Lambert of Maastricht...
on Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's south shore
South Shore (Montreal)
The South Shore is the general term for the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec located on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite the Island of Montreal. The South Shore is located within the Quebec administrative region of Montérégie....
. In addition to Montreal, Topp later lived in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
at various points in his life. His mother was a francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
Québécoise and his father was an anglophone from the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
. Topp's father occasionally lectured at the McGill School of Commerce
Desautels Faculty of Management
The Desautels Faculty of Management is one of the constituent faculties of McGill University. The Faculty has been host to the McGill Management International Case Competition since 2001...
during the 1970s. In 1993, Topp married Rebecca Elbourne with whom he has two sons. The family has an orange cat named Tigger, purported by Topp to be more charismatic than Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
. His wife ran unsuccessfully as an NDP candidate in previous elections, as did his mother-in-law. Following the NDP's breakthrough in 2011, Topp jokingly said, "Too bad they didn't run this time."
Early years, education, early career
Topp attended elementary school in Saint-Lambert at the francophone École Rabeau and the anglophone St. Francis of Assisi School. He attended MacDonald-Cartier High SchoolHeritage Regional High School
Heritage Regional High School is a public secondary school located in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. Prior to being known as Heritage, the school was known as MacDonald-Cartier High School.-H.R.T.V:...
in the Longueuil borough of Saint-Hubert
Saint-Hubert, Quebec
Saint-Hubert is a borough in the city of Longueuil, located in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It had been a separate city prior to January 1, 2002, when it along with several other neighbouring south shore municipalities were merged into Longueuil. According to the Quebec Statistics...
for his secondary education. He studied social sciences at Champlain Regional College
Champlain College Saint-Lambert
Champlain College Saint-Lambert is the Champlain Regional College campus serving the Greater Montreal Area. The campus is located in the city of Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada on Montreal's south shore...
, a CEGEP
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
in the Montreal-area suburb of Saint-Lambert
Saint-Lambert, Quebec
Saint-Lambert is a Canadian city in the province of Quebec located opposite Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Lambert was named for either the early French Canadian hunter Lambert Closse or for Roman Catholic Bishop Lambert of Maastricht...
, from 1977 to 1979. He was the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, and was elected to the College Board of Governors where he served on the executive committee. In 1979 he enrolled at Montreal's McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
where he studied history and political science. While at McGill he was a senior news editor with the McGill Daily, and a member of the Scarlet Key Honour Society. As a reporter for the McGill Daily in 1981 Topp asked Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
-- then an NDP Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
-- a "disrespectful question" and, in Topp's words, Rae "blew his stack." Topp also interviewed René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
, which he called "without any question the most intimidating 10 minutes that I've ever had in my life." In 1983 Topp founded Studio Apostrophe, a graphic design and typesetting company which produced Open City Magazine (a publication described as a precursor to the Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....
), for which Topp served as editor-in-chief. While running his print shop, Topp was introduced to the NDP by friends of his who came seeking printing services. One of his clients was Phil Edmonston
Phil Edmonston
Louis-Phillip Edmonston is a Canadian consumer advocate, writer and former politician. He is one of the few politicians with dual American/Canadian citizenship to be elected to Canadian Parliament....
, whom Topp would later aid in his successful campaign to become an NDP MP.
Entry to politics: Montreal and Ottawa (1985-1993)
Topp has been involved with the NDP at provincial and federal levels for several decades. He joined the NDP in 1980 in order to support Ed BroadbentEd Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
. Topp was active with the NDP in Quebec long before their political breakthrough in 2011; Topp first campaigned for the NDP during a 1985 provincial byelection in Montreal. He later said that they "had a big party afterwards, dancing on tables even, because we increased our vote from one per cent to two per cent." He became active with the federal NDP during the 1988 election campaign, and first went to work in Ottawa in 1990 as an aide to Montreal-area NDP MP Phil Edmonston, whom he had helped become the first elected Quebec MP in NDP history.
Romanow government (1993-2000)
Topp then moved west to work with the Saskatchewan NDP as deputy chief of staffChief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to Premier Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....
from 1993 to 2000. In 1999 he helped to keep a minority NDP government in power by striking a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
agreement with the Liberals. The coalition governed for four years until the NDP regained a majority in 2003.
Return to Ottawa (1997-2011)
Topp co-ordinated the war room for the federal NDP during the 1997 and 2004 elections. He was the party's national campaign director in 2006 and 2008. Topp served as a senior adviser to federal leader Jack LaytonJack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
during the 2011 federal election campaign, and was intimately involved in negotiating the attempted Liberal-NDP coalition
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
agreement during the 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
The 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute was a political dispute during the 40th Canadian Parliament. It was triggered by the expressed intention of the opposition parties to defeat the Conservative minority government on a motion of non-confidence six weeks after the federal election on...
. Topp wrote about this experience in his memoir, How We Almost Gave the Tories the Boot: The Inside Story Behind the Coalition. He also served as an adviser to former Toronto Mayor David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
during his successful election campaign in 2003
Toronto municipal election, 2003
The Toronto municipal election of 2003 was held on November 10, 2003, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to elect the Mayor of Toronto, 44 city councillors, and school board trustees.David Miller was elected mayor ....
. Topp has been recruited by Adrian Dix
Adrian Dix
Adrian Dix is a Canadian politician, currently serving as MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway in British Columbia and as leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 2005 election.-Aide to Glen Clark:...
to manage the British Columbia New Democratic Party's campaign in the fall 2011 provincial election.
He became president of the New Democratic Party of Canada in June 2011. When elected to the position, Jack Layton said of him, "[he's] one of the most principled and hard-working people I know. He’s been an integral part of our team for years and is just the person we need to bring us to the next level."
Although Topp is well-respected for his negotiation skills and has spoken in favour of cooperation between the NDP and the Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, he has rejected a merger of the parties, saying, "We don’t have to become Liberals to win office."
Candidacy for NDP leadership (2011-present)
On September 12, 2011, Topp announced that he was running in the 2012 NDP leadership raceNew Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
in an Ottawa press conference with supporters Françoise Boivin
Françoise Boivin
Françoise Boivin is a Canadian politician, who represents the electoral district of Gatineau in the Canadian House of Commons....
, MP for Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, and former NDP leader Ed Broadbent. Boivin had previously considered running herself, and Ed Broadbent had endorsed Jack Layton's candidacy for the leadership in 2003. Topp's name had been circulated as a leading candidate shortly following the death of his friend and colleague, Jack Layton. Dawn Black
Dawn Black
Dawn Black is a politician in British Columbia, Canada.Born Dawn Whitty, Black became involved in politics from a young age, she became an assistant to New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Pauline Jewett.-Member of Parliament:...
, former leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly....
in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
, previously endorsed Topp's candidacy for the NDP leadership.
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
professor Doug McArthur accused Topp's campaign of using “a kind of pushy, almost bullying, operation,” and noted the similarity to the aggressive tactics that were used by Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
organizers in order to win the leadership of the federal Liberals in 2003. McArthur suggested that “The strategy of the Topp machine is to run over every candidate before they have a chance to really get going”, quoting one of Topp's staffers who stated "let’s get this leadership campaign over before it even starts", and pointing to the campaign efforts to discourage Romeo Saganash
Roméo Saganash
Romeo Saganash, is a Canadian politician and the Member of Parliament for the Quebec riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou...
from running. Prospective candidate, Peter Julian denied that pressure was applied to him, saying the candidates have "very cordial relationships among all of us."
Other work
Topp currently serves as executive director of ACTRA Toronto (the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists). He is also a member of the board of directors for Pinewood Toronto Studios, chair of the board for the Creative Arts Savings and Credit UnionCredit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
, a co-chair of FilmOntario, and a member of the board of directors for ROI Fund.
Topp is the author of How We Almost Gave the Tories the Boot: The Inside Story Behind the Coalition, a memoir about his experiences attempting to broker a coalition between the NDP and the Liberals to take down PM Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's Conservative government. The book details the negotiations that he engaged in with Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
, Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, Jack Layton, Dawn Black, Ed Broadbent, Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, Roy Romanow and Allan Blakeney
Allan Blakeney
Allan Emrys Blakeney, PC, OC, SOM, QC, FRSC was the tenth Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982, and leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party .-Life and career:...
. The book was nominated by Samara
Samara
-Geography:*Samara Oblast, a federal subject of Russia*Samara, Russia, a city on the eastern bank of the Volga River, Russia*Samara Bend, the largest bend of the Volga River*Samara Reservoir, an informal name of Kuybyshev Reservoir on the Volga River...
and the Writers' Trust of Canada
Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada is a non-profit organization which provides financial support to Canadian writers.Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, David Young and Margaret Laurence, the Writers' Trust of Canada was registered as a non-profit organization in 1976...
as one of the "Best Canadian Political Books of the Last 25 Years."
Topp also writes a column for the Globe and Mail. In one piece, he argued against supporting tax cuts with debt and supported the deep government spending cuts of the PASOK-led government in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, writing, "the root causes of all of this madness needs to be addressed in the style Prime Minister Papandreou
George Papandreou
Georgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...
is using to address the crisis here in Greece."