Public’s distrust of politicians
Worrying results have come from the European Union’s latest survey of Greeks’ attitudes to political parties: Eurobarometer found that 72 percent of those surveyed said they did not trust them. Among younger age groups the percentage was even higher – up to 83 percent of the 15-34 age group. Such a finding presents a huge problem for the nation. The parties are society’s representative political organizations and constitute the very foundations of a democratic regime. Such a degree of rejection is a clear sign that these institutions are not operating in a healthy fashion. And it surely does not allow much scope for optimism regarding the future of these institutions, if the youth of Greece are entering public life with such hostile initial feelings toward the political parties. Within such a climate, there is the danger that certain circles could try to capitalize on the generalized discontent toward the parties. That has happened in the past, with extremely negative results, and it is likely to happen again, if in a different form. The parties themselves do not seem to have realized the depth and scope of the problem. The tedious tone of their political rhetoric, the countless sins they have committed in government when handling the country’s affairs, their involvement with the agents of entangled interests and corruption, and above all their lack of political vision or the courage to make necessary changes, even on individual issues, have brought them down in the public’s estimation. The country’s political leaders are making a big mistake if they take it for granted that the current parties will continue to exist as they are, as expressions of the people’s will. If the political parties do not stop restricting themselves to the role of impersonal administrators of power, their position within society will continue to be undermined, to the great detriment of the country.
