Time for some bold measures
It certainly looks like we are in for a tough winter. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis appears determined to push several bold and politically costly measures. To some degree, New Democracy is paying the price of its tardy economy planners. Failure to tackle chronic problems, like the sale of troubled Olympic Airlines, while the conservatives still enjoyed a fresh mandate has also taken a hefty toll. Too bad Greece’s opposition parties have all taken an extreme stand. This is understandable for the left-wing parties but it hardly makes any sense for PASOK, a mainstream party with ambitions to rule. Voters do not choose the loudest candidate, but the most persuasive one. PASOK leader George Papandreou would do a great service to the country if he shifted to the center. On educational reform, for example, moderate voters expect to see Papandreou back the government’s reforms and condemn extreme types of protest, such as sit-ins. The PM must show courage and determination while the opposition leader must realize that strong political opposition is one thing while indulging populist street protests. is quite another.
