By Alexis Papachelas

It has become quite clear that there are those in the public domain who would be more than happy to see the new government fail and collapse. I am not talking about those who are upset that Greece has not been kicked out of the eurozone yet and readopted the drachma. In the case of the latter, their intention to encourage any developments that may lead the country in that direction is taken for granted. The people I am referring to are political players who officially appear to be in support of the government, but whose actions, words and stance indicate otherwise.

Isn’t it high time that Greece’s politicians began taking the situation seriously? Sure, everyone has a bone to pick with someone, be it over the way the signing of the memorandum was handled or the aftermath of the Greek debt write-down. But this is not the time to ponder the past in search of vindication. Nor is it the time for a party leader to act as though he is mad at us all because we failed to understand how great his contribution was or how neglected he has been by the annals of history.

There is no excuse for acting irresponsibly in order to punish someone who behaved irresponsibly in the past. This is the kind of mentality that bankrupts countries, and I don’t mean just economically.

Greece has already been written off by a large part of the German and European establishment, and there are many who are no longer willing to give the country any more chances. This is something we all need to get into our heads, and our politicians need to put their egos, personal ambitions and party interests aside.

If the new government collapses, we may have a sliver of a chance to stay in the eurozone if we manage to form a unity government from the present Parliament.

This is a scenario that we should not ignore, but the fact that it may be possible is no excuse for political officials who support the government on paper only. It is the duty of every elected official to do his or her best for the country right now.

History may indeed be unfair and it is littered with examples of people who fought hard for a cause only to see someone else reap the rewards. In the present case though, licking wounds and looking for payback is a shortsighted strategy that will only lead to the country’s destruction.

Anyone who believes that by not committing entirely to the government he or she will be spared if the explosion comes is sorely mistaken and must either be naive or an incurable egocentric.