Government both dominant and fragile
Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government find themselves in an enviable but precarious position – both dominant and fragile at the same time. They have no rival at the party level but face the critical mass of the country’s problems, which were highlighted in the most tragic fashion by the train collision at Tempe and all that has followed.
The government has no one to fear but itself. Last year’s election triumph was an expression of the people’s need for stability. But this vote was not a blank check, as the loud message of the second round of local elections proved – when almost all candidates backed by the government lost. By promising stability, the government “owns” everything that shakes citizens’ confidence, whether the problem is inflation or the dysfunction of state services and institutions. This is natural, as Mitsotakis and New Democracy convinced most voters in 2019 and 2023 that they had the policies and the will to solve chronic problems and to set the country on a new track. And they have been in power long enough to be responsible for whatever happens for good or ill, without being able to blame their predecessors, “foreigners” or opposition parties.
The government is worried about the European Parliament elections. This fear is well-founded, because it is possible that many citizens who voted for it last year may feel, on the one hand, that the country is stable enough for them to be able to express their displeasure at various problems without shaking that stability, and, on the other, that stability is not an end in itself, that challenges must be dealt with. So, without a credible alternative policy proposed by the opposition, everyone is waiting for the June 9 elections to shape the political scene for the next few years.
The government has a comfortable majority in Parliament, it has succeeded in dealing with major crises since 2019, it has strengthened bonds with partners and allies, and improved the economy, yet it appears overly sensitive in dealing with problems. This is evident from excessive reactions to comments on social media to its avoiding in-depth inquiries into mistakes and failures.
Despite the self-criticism which Mitsotakis preaches and applies, up to a point, despite the reforms that the government initiates, it appears to underestimate the need to show in practice that it is reinforcing institutions, guaranteeing equality before the law, protecting the environment. Because if young people do not feel safe, if they have no faith in the future, they will not be able to create things in their own country. Then, all the successes of the government and society will be short-lived, in vain. Change needs to come from the top to the bottom, from the highest offices in government to state officials and civil servants. We citizens, too, need to demand the rule of law and to support those who serve it.
Speaking at New Democracy’s congress on Friday night, Mitsotakis stressed the importance of June’s elections. “Political stability is a central priority, just as the continuation of the government’s work today becomes a precondition for a better life tomorrow. We are at a critical point, our country will not forgive regression,” he said. This call pertains not only to voters but also to those who are responsible for the functioning of institutions and for citizens’ faith in them. The government is in a position to bring about the change that it preaches, but also to take the blame for the state’s dysfunction.
