Greece’s image abroad has been hit by the re-emergence of local terrorist groups and the spectacular rise in crime.

The country’s economy, which is largely dependent on the tourism industry, would be the first casualty of this – and, more alarming, at a time that financial meltdown is sweeping markets across the globe.

The conservative government must take swift action to prevent any further damage. The first thing Greece must do is to mobilize its foreign partners. Greek authorities need all the help and know-how they can get from the police and intelligence services of other countries. At the same time, the government must take deft diplomatic action to minimize the international impact of wrongdoing at home. Greece must request the help of its foreign partners on public safety issues. But for that to happen, the prime minister must first put the right people in the right places, as happened before and during the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

The country has invested a lot in the training of anti-terrorism officials and it cannot afford to sacrifice this capital on the altar of red tape and political expediency.