OPINION

Taking refuge in delusions

Greece’s prime minister has already launched a counterattack aimed at renewing his public mandate for a third consecutive term. Finding himself in a difficult position as a colorless second term draws to a close, Costas Simitis seems prepared to do anything it takes to strengthen his counterattack, regardless whether his tactics suit his reformist political profile or not. Of course, no one can blame the premier for seeking another election victory. However, what is not very flattering to Simitis and his much-hyped reformist policies is that they failed to put Greece on a course of genuine, multifaceted development on the basis of the country’s membership in the eurozone and, worse, that even at this time, at the end of its four-year term, his administration still has no plan for achieving this goal. The premier is bracing for another election battle, using the same old rhetorical gyrations and asking the populace to wait until the end of the next four-year term to see the results of a fuzzy reformist policy. Just as in 2000, Simitis has fallen short of presenting any serious development plan, despite the fact that we are now in a pre-election period, having wasted much precious time during which Greece is using up its strength in the extremely competitive eurozone. Taking refuge in one of his typical delusions of a «powerful Greece» and a «new national self-confidence,» the prime minister only serves those who have something to gain from his odd reformism or from the prolongation of this model of governance that caters to its own activities as it blocks the country’s genuinely productive forces. The latter have no reason whatsoever to back Simitis’s nascent counterattack.

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