A new strategy
There is a lot of disjointed talk about the main problems plaguing Greece today, and many different solutions have been proposed. These concern the country’s fiscal deficit and lagging growth and production, the delays in social security, structural and educational reform, and other everyday problems. And finally, there is talk about graft and corruption, but it is mostly fragmented, always missing the wood for the trees. A comprehensive proposal to put matters right has never been put forward. The previous parliamentary term was indicative of the country’s failure to steer a steady course into the future. Notwithstanding its ostensible administrative skills, the former Socialist government got lost in a forest of specific goals that were pursued with no overarching strategy, rational planning or moderation. The government was worn down, irritating the public who voted it out of power on March 7. One cannot hope to promote a more efficient social policy or solve everyday problems without at the same time bringing about fiscal reform and a more rational distribution of public funds. This in turn requires robust growth and wealth creation. Growth and wealth cannot be generated without expanding into new sectors of development, without lifting the structural barriers, or without overhauling the sleaze-ridden system which excludes fresh forces from the production process. Nor can one aspire to a more fertile economic and business environment without the existence of an efficient administration that is separated from party interests, and without a modern education system. What is called for in the current political period – which will take clearer form after the Olympic Games – is an all-inclusive strategy for the future, a plan that will address the multitude of problems and inspire a long-term vision among the public.
