No room for mistakes

In 2015 frustration spurred Greeks to vote for a party that vowed to turn things upside down with a supposedly heroic renegotiation of the bailout agreements with the country’s foreign lenders and partners. But SYRIZA repeated all the bad habits that led Greece to default: nepotism, corruption, misguided handouts, mass hirings, interference in institutions and reliance on party acolytes.

When Greece clashed with its creditors, people’s expectations collapsed as the leftist-led government was forced to do a U-turn on its campaign pledges. Greeks are now angry at both the incumbents as well as their predecessors.

Greece cannot afford to make any more mistakes, as the sirens of extreme nationalist populism are lurking around the corner. It is vital that the opposition breaks with bad habits and is honest with voters. There is no room for mistakes and delusions.