Something was missing from yesterday’s parliamentary debate on the environment: a true interest in the environment. Voices were raised and clever one-liners were uttered, but there were no tangible results. Giorgos Souflias successfully defended the destructive environmental policies of Greek governments through the ages and the political leaders will no doubt meet in the future to do battle, while we mourn an injured Markopoulo, a dead Lake Kerkini, burned forests and hillsides covered with heavy avalanches of garbage.

Nothing is going to change. Industries will continue to destroy the environment with their activities and all we’ll have is the promise of “some day” about a ministry that may happen.

Unfortunately, the debate at the level of political leaders fell short of citizens’ expectations and of the ecological challenges the country faces. Two months after the deadly fires, everyone was hoping for something better. Everyone was hoping for something tangible that would help the environment, rather than a mere expression of interest.