Disillusioned youth
The really impressive thing about a recent study of youth attitudes, conducted by Panteion University for the General Secretariat for Youth, are how consistent its conclusions are with similar studies conducted over the past 10 years. Overall, the findings show that Greeks aged 15 to 29 – those who will be tomorrow’s leaders and decision makers – are fearful about their prospects in the job market and mistrustful of our institutions, with nine in 10 entirely convinced that public life is rife with corruption. In other words, the general trend highlighted by this serious study is that the underlying causes of the disappointment and concern felt by young Greeks have not been addressed effectively by the state… It is significant that politicians themselves often acknowledge their lack of popularity with the public, especially among the more sensitive and demanding youth population. But although politicians and parties might recognize their shortcomings and mistakes, they appear to be unable to take any remedial action and to meet the demands of the public. The one sector in which youngsters appear to put some trust is that of higher education… but this is mainly because they rely upon it for the degree certificate that they hope will clinch them a job, evidently their biggest anxiety…
