A wasted opportunity

Talks on the name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) presented Greece with a very good opportunity for a national understanding, if not consensus, between political parties.

However, the leftist-led government did all it could to destroy bridges with the opposition. It tried to take advantage of the name issue in a bid to cause divisions within the center-right New Democracy party. At the same time, it repeatedly tried to strike its opponents below the belt, in a manner so unethical it has rarely been seen before in Greek politics.

However, the conservative opposition, which has proved to be a responsible force, also has a duty to examine the facts before assuming a position that it deems best serves the national interest.

In any case, it would be good to avoid division on national issues. The government should be the first to know that charming as polarization may be, its consequences are always devastating.