Groundless promises
Most Greek politicians have a seemingly undying urge to make promises of lavish handouts. Debt-wracked Greece, of course, is still in a brutal recession and could easily find itself posting a budget deficit at the end of the year if it strays from the path to recovery. But bad habits, it seems, die hard.
The appeal of populism cuts across the country’s political parties, both on the left as well as on the right. And it is always striking to see how populist voices converge on what they have to say.
There is no doubt that during hard times like these a portion of society needs to be supported – and the government should take all necessary measures in that direction. Similarly, there is clearly no room for additional measures and extra taxes. Saying this, however, is one thing, while starting a very premature – and potentially risky – debate about handouts is quite another.
Let’s not forget the country ran out of money a long time ago.
