A Peanut and Farlie campaign
The most recent survey by Dianeosis on “What Greeks believe” includes the question: What do you think Greece will look like in 10 years’ time? More than half of the respondents said they think the country will have a lot more immigrants and that citizens will be more tolerant of diversity. On the other hand, a lot fewer said that the standard of living will be close to the European average (34%) – currently it ranks among the last on the list in this respect – that it will have a robust economy (26%) and that it will function in a meritocratic manner (23%). Nevertheless, almost half (42%) said they think Greece will become more influential in the global arena in the next decade. What this means, in short, is that a good number of Greeks believe it is possible for the country to increase its clout, but without more transparency, without improving living standards and without strengthening the economy.
Are they doing “whatever it takes” or are they following the modern dictates of the laws of communication? Does it matter? Not at all
Such contradictory positions often appear in public opinion polls, so there’s nothing odd about that. At the end of the day, we may be in favor of cold, cruel pragmatism, but how can we stand reality without also casting a peek at the marvels in the marvelous world of TikTok? How can we live without lightening the mood and changing the conversation, since the agenda is so heavily laden with serious, unpredictable and unbearable problems? Without turning to a more humorous and – why not? – more palatable view of life?
In this vein, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has taken to social media to talk about the upcoming European Parliament elections, casting his admittedly lovely dog, Peanut, in the role of interlocutor: “You old pro-Euro dog,” he quips. The SYRIZA opposition responded on the same platform, bringing in Stefanos Kasselakis’ lovable pooch, Farlie, into the picture. Here we see the leftist leader affectionately caressing the dog and assuring it that it will not be exploited for votes.
And so we march on to the June 9 polls, with our political leaders doing whatever it takes to attract young voters. Are they doing “whatever it takes” or are they following the modern dictates of the laws of communication? Does it matter? Not at all. Perhaps if they added subtitles to the videos, Greece would indeed expand its global reach without much effort at all – without meritocracy, without a stronger economy, without a higher standard of living. Perhaps all it takes is some cute pets.
