When Constantine Caramanlis flew off to exile in Paris in 1963 after a stinging defeat at the polls, his departure from Greek politics reminded many of Charles de Gaulle's huffy retreat to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises after the French liberation. As one of his parting shots, the former Greek Premier told an audience, with more than a touch of Gaullist hubris: "The true political leader does not need the people. The people need the true political leader."
In Paris, Caramanlis adroitly remained aloof from the day-to-day infighting of Greek politics, but he kept in close touch with...
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