Consensus is not an alibi
Consensus may be the order of the day if Greece is to be saved, but New Democracy and the other opposition parties cannot be asked to back the government until certain things are clarified.
First of all, Prime Minister George Papandreou has failed to be honest with the public about the shortcomings of his economic policy and where the country finds itself exactly in fiscal terms. It is time that he did so.
Next, he will have to submit a very specific and organized plan of action so that everyone is aware of what exactly they are agreeing to and what they?re backing.
It goes without saying that Papandreou also needs to cover his back within his own party and to make sure that he has a government that believes in the plan and is capable of implementing it.
So, when Papandreou has a plan and when his government is in a position to execute it, then he can ask for consensus from other parties, because consensus is not about providing the government with an alibi for all of its mistakes and shortfalls.