Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis’s address to the Greek public in the wake of the NATO summit meeting in Bucharest last week where Athens blocked FYROM’s path to NATO membership came at the right moment.

These developments were a big confidence boost for the Greeks. It was a pragmatic, down-to-earth evaluation of our strengths, free from fears and chest-thumping. Meanwhile, the prime minister steered clear of nationalist excesses, sending a message of friendship to our neighboring country.

However, the address came at a time marked by skirmishing, demagoguery and mistrust within the country. Greece’s foreign policy gains appear to be offset by damaging domestic bickering.

In that sense, Greece’s diplomatic achievement, the result of unity and painstaking efforts, must be imitated on a domestic level.

Greece must overcome the sour climate and make room for optimism and hard work.

We owe it to ourselves.