Putting things off
Many political commentators are of the opinion that it is best to welcome as positive Prime Minister Costas Simitis’s pledges to increase transparency and modernize the political system, despite the chronic delays in carrying out this initiative. It should be possible to improve – even to a small degree – a state of affairs which has led to the discrediting of the cadres of the major political parties due to their proven or alleged exploitation of their political posts. Which reputable politician does not want transparency regarding the activities of his peers and of the political system as a whole? On the other hand, it is impossible to overlook the costs incurred by our country as a result of severe procrastination in the tackling of crucial problems which continue to drag on and which affect our lives on both an individual and collective level. It is difficult for us to hope that Greece – at some point in the foreseeable future – will be able to join fellow European Union members on a common course, when we have failed to tackle our most serious problems for decades, and when the «do tomorrow what can be done today» attitude still prevails. Indeed, what kind of change can we hope for when both citizens and politicians concede that «at least we have a few kilometers of metro,» and «there may be delays, but at least works are under way»?
