The need for all to gain
At election time we ask ourselves whether things today are better than they were four years ago. The answer is, by definition, subjective. But it is determined by many factors, from objective developments to each voter’s desires and prejudices. That is why even when opinion polls are consistent, an election is never predictable. What may appear self-evident to one voter may seem absurd to someone else – the need for security that many feel may inspire fear in others, economic growth may provoke anger in those who feel left out.
The Greek economy made great progress in the past four years, despite imported problems and endemic weaknesses. GDP is growing, unemployment is down, taxes have been cut, great strides were made in the digitalization of the economy and citizen-state relations. We could assume that after the coming maelstrom between elections, most voters will choose to maintain today’s course. That, however, will be determined by whether enough of them trust the government to improve things, or whether SYRIZA will persuade them that New Democracy is the source of their problems and SYRIZA the only solution. This artificial dilemma dominates every election battle.
Today, though, the basic question is whether most voters feel that they are gaining from the growth that ND has achieved. Do they benefit from foreign investments when most of these are focused on real estate and not on productive units? When tourism activity in 2022 rose by 54.9 percent and construction by 23 percent, whereas industrial output increased by just 2.2 percent and retail trade by 3.3 percent, are we not seeing distortions in the economy and a problem with citizens’ incomes? Do the young people who a few years ago would have been unemployed now feel satisfied with their incomes and quality of life?
These questions prompt all parties to promise higher incomes, lower prices, meritocracy, justice and all the things that we all want. ND’s task is to persuade voters that the improvement of everyone’s life is a difficult but attainable target, whereas SYRIZA insists that (despite recent experience) it is easy, that all it takes is a change of government.
