Hostage to the opinion polls
Although the government is only halfway through its term in office, the country has already been plunged into a lengthy premature election campaign. This is evident from the various scenarios regarding a change at the helm of the ruling PASOK party, as a result of the imminent municipal and prefectural elections, as well as from the recent barrage of opinion polls. The two most recent, by ALCO and MRB Hellas, indicate a greater lead for main opposition New Democracy over PASOK but – for the first time — have put ND leader Costas Karamanlis ahead of Prime Minister Costas Simitis as the most suitable person for prime minister. This negative turn of events for PASOK would not be so catastrophic if the government had exploited its fresh mandate from the people in the early part of its term and pushed more controversial reforms. No doubt there would have been a political price to pay, since no reforms go unopposed by those who feel their interests are affected, but the government would have been able to regain lost ground over the next two years as its more daring policies began to bear fruit. Unfortunately, that is not what has happened. Having frittered away the people’s trust during the first two years of lackluster administration and being forced to back down on social security and, now, the taxation reforms, the Simitis government has very real reason to fear the second half of its term when conditions will be much more difficult. Nevertheless, if it chooses inaction as the way to avoid political cost, the only thing it will achieve is speeding up its own losses. For it will be effectively telling the public that it is a government on its way out, incapable of managing the country’s major problems. We would like to hope that Simitis and his associates will correctly interpret the results of the recent polls and will make a concerted effort to regain lost ground in their work. Woe betide the government if, in the middle of its term, it becomes hostage to the polls and in turn holds Greek society hostage. Woe betide the country if it is condemned to put up with a part-time government of limited responsibility.
