OPINION

Models of political maturity

In some countries not all that far away from Greece, the decision to proceed with major structural reforms is made by national consensus. This was the case in Portugal as it was also later the case in Spain, where the government and the labor unions sat down together and drew up a plan for putting painful reforms, such as raising the retirement age to 67, into action.

This kind of decision making is a lesson in maturity, which shows that when a country has serious and responsible leaders, on every level, it can solve even the thorniest problems.

Unfortunately, in Greece, the opposition on the one hand has jumped on the bandwagon of populism, and the unions, on the other, are rarely interested in really protecting the rights of the workers they represent and the more vulnerable groups of society.

All we can hope for before the country sinks even deeper into the mire of fiscal reform coupled with rampant law-flouting, is that our leaders, political and otherwise, see how important it is to follow the example of countries like Portugal and Spain.

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