All myths aside
Not a lot of enthusiasm and passion are to be found just a few days before the elections. I was recently struck by the words of a longtime supporter of one of two main parties. «Your guy is doing well,» I told him, to which he responded: «So what? What matters is the day after.» In these times of grief and low expectations, the wise are looking for something to hold on to. Greeks need a national myth to believe in. But myths are crushed under a populist television culture that feeds a desperate sense of familiarity with political leaders. At some point, we need to decide what we want. Is it pompous words? Are we feeling nostalgic, looking for comfort in post-1974 myths? I am far from certain that Greece needs another Andreas Papandreou. After all, many of today’s ills are of his making. Sure, he put a big chunk of society back in the game. Although he disregarded Greece’s infrastructure and state structure, he is still considered a great among many left-of-center voters. Both main parties abound with poor imitations of the late Papandreou. But they do not dare take the risks he took. Who would be bold enough to rebuild a party from scratch? We are fed up with charismatic leaders and myths. Thank God we are on a safe European track. The prime minister is more of a managing director: He must ensure national growth; he must make sure his inferiors do not pocket company money; he must manage foreign policy and public safety issues. We are not asking too much. We need more low-profile politicians with a sense of obligation toward their voters. These people are spread across party lines. We must stop looking for the savior who will lift us from our mediocrity but for those moderate, industrious and honest candidates who can solve practical problems beyond myths and fairy tales.
