Avoiding disaster
Antonis Samaras’s decision to temporarily close down ERT demonstrates that the prime minister has the required strength to make some very tough decisions. Unfortunately, his coalition partners and most of the cabinet ministers from his own New Democracy party are not prepared to follow him.
The country stands at a crucial crossroads. The coalition partners ought to abandon their ongoing cowardice when it comes to decision making and agree on a three-party government that will dare to deal with the tough issues. This administration should be free of old-style partisans, irrespective of party affiliation.
If not avoided, elections will lead the country into new turmoil, given that it will be extremely difficult to drum up the kind of pro-European majority that the Greek Parliament enjoys today. If there is no political courage for the formation of a new, responsible three-party government, Samaras will have to lead a broader platform of capable people from other sectors, one with the power to convince that it is willing and able to implement radical decisions.
