Law must be enforced swiftly
The prosecutor at the court of first instance in Thessaloniki has asked that those farmers who are illegally blocking national highways around the country be arrested on the spot. Prosecutors have in the past asked for the law to be enforced to combat similar acts of wrongdoing, including, for example, the illegal occupation of state-owned buildings. Unfortunately, successive governments in Greece have failed to respond by taking the necessary measures, fearing that this would damage their political prospects. The result of this hesitation is that wrongdoing has become the rule in the country’s political life and no government has yet found the courage to tackle it. In a sign of political maturity, the conservative New Democracy opposition party has made the choice to back Prime Minister George Papandreou’s Socialist administration. One would hope that the government will move swiftly to fully implement the law and punish those who are holding the country for ransom with their misdeeds.
