Playing the good guy
There is a part of the government that is striving to fulfill the commitments that Greece has undertaken toward its foreign creditors, most of which pertain to reforms that are absolutely essential for the economy.
On the other side, there is another part which argues that no reforms can be implemented before the next general elections. This message has also been expressed recently by the leader of PASOK, the junior coalition partner. This is a mistake both in terms of what it conveys and as a tactic.
Greece is at the threshold of major negotiations regarding the lightening of its debt load. It will achieve nothing if it backs down on important commitments such as the streamlining of the civil service through performance evaluations and other reforms.
On a more basic level, it is wrong for one coalition partner to pose as the good guy when the other is being portrayed as the bad to earn support at the expense of a national effort.
