The World Cup in Brazil, with all of its goals and spectacular events is winning over everyone. Before the glory of football, political passions subside, political activities reduce and a peculiar truce tends to dominate the land.
After the football break, the summer vacations by the sea will follow and that is how the summer will work our, with the people away and not protesting, aside perhaps from the amiable cleaners and wretched university administrative employees who have little support.
However, despite the phenomenal break, the political scene is bubbling, in preparation of the critical period from September to the upcoming March.
The new Samaras-Venizelos cabinet, after gauging the intentions of creditors and partners, received the message and appears to be on “the correct path”.
The early “heroic” comments of Mrs. Voultepsi against the troika were nor repeated and now the government constantly speaks of consequence and stability, promising to implement the prior actions and strictly follow the program until the debt is settled, while hoping the secure the necessary 180 votes for the Presidential election.
In essence, after a “resistance break”, the government has reverted to its line of stability, after it realized how huge the risk would be if relations with Europe and the troika were jeopardized.
The question that is now being asked is whether the new “divergent” Ministers can walk this line, as they seem to believe that it is time for them to ignore the bailout agreements.
In any case, Samaras and Venizelos have understood that the debt will not be settled unless everything promised has been implemented.
In this respect and assuming there are no surprises, the government is forced to walk on a path to martyrdom, in hopes of its efforts and any positive results being recognized.
But because Greece is caught up in the midst of a populist strife, the cards are typically in favor of the authentic populists.
So long as the government carries on implementing harsh policies, even against its will, it will suffer from attrition, while its enemies reaps the rewards.
Unless, as it seems, the internal conflicts prevail in SYRIZA and the people realize that such a government would be weak and checkered.
In this case the left’s victory may be cast in doubt, the segmentation will become permanent and then perhaps the conditions for a real reformation of the political system that will bring the rebirth of the country may emerge.
Antonis Karakousis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition
