Shedding light on the bonds scandal
Greece is no stranger to exaggeration. Over the past three months, the attention of the media and public has focused on the structured bonds controversy. There is no doubt that we are faced with a scandal that warrants an in-depth investigation. We need to know if and who sold the specific bonds to the funds in question. Most importantly, we need to know if there were any officials within the state apparatus that knew what was going on. This is one aspect of the issue. Unfortunately, Greece has long been dogged by corruption – a problem that grew in the 1980s and spiraled out of control in the 1990s. The bonds scandal is only the latest manifestation of this problem. Meanwhile, key issues such as education, health and state bureaucracy await solutions. It would be a big mistake for the two main political parties to campaign by trading accusations of corruption. Should we discover the whole truth about the pension funds scandal? Most certainly, yes. But we must also ask our politicians to be sincere about how they aim to tackle the scourge of corruption. Some politicians have made no secret of their intention to bring down the conservative administration on the back of the bonds affair. Their aspiration is welcome, if only they could convince us they were doing this for the country’s good.
