Gains and failures in an unstable world
The past year confirmed in many ways that we are living in an era of great change and insecurity. We saw that the certainties of past decades no long apply, that the way our country functions is not good enough for us to meet the challenges of the time. The climate crisis and instability in the international system of political and economic governance demand a radical change of mentality.
Every country ought to make a correct appraisal of its potential and weaknesses, make use of all its people’s skills, and, in international relations, reinforce friendships and seek an easing of tensions with rivals. Despite the difficult circumstances, Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government made many gains – from the economy to the friendship pact with Turkey – and the country is in a better state than it might have been.
The problems, however, remain great. They demand vigilance, daring solutions and ever greater efforts. The tragedy at Tempe highlighted the unbearable price of sloppiness and irresponsibility in the management of life-and-death issues. The horrific shipwreck off Pylos, the murder of a passenger by a ship’s crewmen in Piraeus, the unimpeded convoy of Croatian soccer hooligans all the way to Athens, the ill-fated humanitarian mission to Libya, all seem to have a common root – the lack of the right people in positions of responsibility and shoddy planning.
The unprecedented (in size and power) forest fires from Dadia in the north to Rhodes in the southeast, and the flooding of central Greece were caused by the climate crisis. But the damage would have been smaller if the state had functioned with the necessary forethought and seriousness. Greece’s demographic problem and the lack of labor demand a long-term strategy so that young people will remain here, and for foreigners to choose our country to settle and work in. The recent decision to legalize migrants who are living and working here is a step in the right direction but is not sufficient to base the country’s development on. The reactions to this measure, along with other reforms, however, show that a large part of the political world and society (perhaps to a lesser extent) lives in a fantasy world where obvious problems do not exist and therefore do not demand solutions.
The praise in international media and the restoration of investment grade ratings for the country’s bonds are most positive developments, as are several of the government’s reforms. But if the justice system is not modernized, if education and research are not developed, if institutions do not function well and show positive results, if people in positions of responsibility are not evaluated correctly, then unexpected and predictable “accidents” will continue to drive young people away and undermine the prospects of all.
An important event in domestic politics in 2023 was that the country avoided the instability that could have been caused by elections held with the simple proportional system. This was decided by the voters, who expressed trust in Mitsotakis and his government in parliamentary and local government elections. However, in the second round of the local elections, they sent a clear message that the government should not interpret their support as a blank check, with many votes swinging towards candidates backed by the opposition.
SYRIZA’s dismemberment is proof that whatever does not adapt to the demands of the time will die.
At the close of the year, the publication of results of the international educational exam, PISA, showed that Greek students keep doing badly. This records a dangerous, long-term indifference on the part of society, which seems to accept the situation. At a time when the whole world is shaken by conflict and uncertainty, we don’t have the luxury of inertia in the education of our children.
