Setting the right criteria
The city of Athens and the broader region of Attica deserve a responsible local administration that will focus on the real problems dogging residents rather than waste its time and energy on public-relations stunts. So it is sad to see that New Democracy, the conservative opposition party, has until now come up with some disappointing proposals, while those of the ruling PASOK sound unbearably banal. It’s high time that voters demand the selection and appointment of local leaders who have proved in the past that they can work as managers and not as second-class media personas. As for the political parties, they would do well to take under consideration the widespread and growing frustration with the bankrupt political establishment. Should they stick to the habit of promoting unsuitable candidates or politicians who have little more to offer than their «faithful» old-guard credentials, the November elections will leave them politically scathed.
