Negative opposition
Up until recently, the government has reacted to all criticism from New Democracy with the standard argument that the party has no political agenda and that it exercises an «accusatory, scornful and negative» type of opposition. This would imply that the government is waiting for ND to submit its proposals so that an essential political dialogue can begin, with arguments presented to the public by both sides, so that the average citizen can draw comparisons and form an opinion about the political solutions recommended by each of the two major parties in the sphere of government responsibility. ND started making its proposals public at the end of last week, starting with its stance on education. It is generally accepted that the party’s agenda in this particular area is clear, comprehensive and bold. If nothing else it presupposes some lengthy and thorough groundwork, as should only be expected when it comes to such a fundamental and pivotal area of state responsibility as education. And what was the reaction of the education minister to the revelation of these proposals which the government had long been inviting in order to launch a meaningful political exchange? In three words, it was «accusatory, scornful and negative.» Following an in-depth study of several pages of ND proposals during which Petros Efthymiou carefully pondered the suggested reforms to his sector, the minister dismissed them out of hand as a «creative collage.»
