A tough balancing act

The decision to gradually and cautiously reopen economic and social activity, starting with retail stores – as announced by the government on Wednesday – will only prove to have been the right decision if the rules are strictly upheld and protected.

We already know from experience that stringent restrictive measures are no good if they are not accompanied by the corresponding mechanisms to ensure their implementation. What Greece needs now is the opposite: looser restrictions and stricter enforcement.

It is a tough balancing act that cannot be accomplished with the threat of checks and fines alone. More freedom also means more responsibility.