By A. Karkayiannis

In the wake of the recent tragedy of the fires, it was clear that this pre-election period would not be like previous ones, that it would lose its «color,» its traditional sparring and rousing rhetoric. The truth is that this color had faded long before the devastating fires. The chasm between pre-election fanfare and post-election policy is now so wide that many people are extremely bothered.

They always suspected that the ostentatious pre-electoral landscape, as well as all the acrimony and sharp exchanges, were aimed at covering up the country's problems and the parties' lack of ideas and plans for much-needed reforms.

The fallout after the fires is definitely a massive issue that demands an immediate response and a specific political stance. But the day after elections, the new government will also have to grapple with other problems, some immediate, others chronic.

In order to ensure that their vote has the greatest possible chance of making a difference, citizens want to know - as soon as possible - the stance of each party on these issues.

In view of this, I would expect reporters to ask political leaders what their stance is on the regeneration of fire-ravaged areas - an undertaking that is much tougher and more expensive than the simple, and often rather thoughtless, distribution of payments and benefits to the afflicted.

I would also ask them what they believe should be done to defend our «territorial integrity» and our harmonious coexistence with our environment. Another important question is whether they plan to create an independent environment ministry, separate from that of the Public Works Ministry.

I would also expect journalists to ask our political leaders how they plan to relieve low-income citizens - the unemployed, those on low pensions or scant wages. People in this country may not be starving to death but there are many who struggle to make ends meet and to provide their families with basic needs, in a country of large and provocative inequalities. This imbalance gives disadvantaged citizens the impression that the much-vaunted economic growth is for others, not for them.

Another question I would expect reporters to ask is what politicians plan to do about pensions, how they plan to create a viable and reliable pension system.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, in a recent interview with Kathimerini, mentioned some interesting ideas for rationalizing the state system by removing the injustices and irregularities.

But many more queries remain unanswered - about the education system for example, as education is the basic prerequisite for, and consequence of, democracy.