Antonis Samaras’ reasonable concerns

With two statements – one in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini (November 26) – the former prime minister presented, as he should, his concerns both on national issues and on the issue of marriage for same-sex couples. Antonis Samaras does not belong to the center-left or to social democracy. He expresses the historical and traditional base of New Democracy, which kept Greece standing during the difficult years of the memorandums. Simply put, without that solid 30% there would not exist today’s triumphant 40.5%.

This traditional base has very specific ideological standards, both on national issues and on contentious social issues, which have emerged from the “cage” of political correctness. It has its reservations and concerns, as it sees that the values with which generations of Greeks were educated are not only being questioned, but an attempt is being made to deconstruct them. Let us not forget that the New Democracy party is the marriage of the conservative space with the reformist center, which requires a balance be maintained.

It sees that the values with which generations of Greeks were educated are not only being questioned, but an attempt is being made to deconstruct them

In such cases, if the ship lists to one side there is a fear of unpleasant political consequences. At a time when almost all of Europe is moving to the right, with politicians who are strongly Euroskeptic and anti-systemic – as a result of the naive policy of open borders and multiculturalism – Greece is dominated by a Eurocentric, liberal, center-right party. Why? Because its leadership has, so far, maintained the required balance between the two major components that make up the party.

Politically speaking, it is better for the stability of our political system for conservative citizens to express themselves through a large, systemic, pro-European party, than to be accommodated by parties of dubious seriousness, with odd dependencies and extreme behaviors. Samaras wanted to express the concerns not only of conservative citizens, but also of all those who see the tide of political correctness sweeping over everything. Today we may scoff at the extremity of Parent 1 and Parent 2, but in the near future it may be the norm.