OPINION

Ostensible incorruptibility

Antonis Bezas was chosen above many more experienced politicians to replace «disgraced» former deputy economy minister Adam Regouzas because he is ostensibly «incorrupt and blameless,» according to sources. But the reasoning behind this maneuver is somewhat confusing. Every relative «unknown» who debuts on the political stage is, by definition, incorrupt, as he has not yet had the opportunity to yield to temptation, to discover his capabilities and limits. Presumably, this was also the case with the unfortunate Regouzas when he was appointed deputy economy minister 18 months ago. The mistakes, slip-ups and dodgy business connections came along later, and eventually destroyed his political career. The insistence on Bezas’s ostensible incorruptibility is inappropriate as he has not yet had the chance to prove himself in his new post. It is also unfair, because it implies that this may not be the case for politicians in similar posts in the past and the present. The appointment of Bezas by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis also sends out a message to party deputies that the premier is willing to «experiment» with relatively inexperienced but ambitious politicians and not necessarily opt for the «predictable» choices…

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