The scourge of nepotism

Greek voters are fed up with rampant favoritism, a chronic and dire characteristic of domestic politics in the crisis-hit country, and they will no longer tolerate instances of nepotism.

It is simply outrageous that a conservative deputy decided to end his political career while at the same time announcing that he would be succeeded by his son, as New Democracy MP Yiannis Tragakis did Tuesday.

Politics cannot be treated as a family business.

Conservative opposition chief Kyriakos Mitsotakis was right to criticize the gesture of his outgoing MP and subsequently ban Tragakis Jr (Panagiotis) from running as a New Democracy candidate in the next general election.

Mitsotakis must show equal firmness when combating other instances of nepotism whenever they might occur if he really wants to transform the image – and enhance the appeal – of his conservative party as a true champion of meritocracy and transparency.