The discussion is well-know and always relevant. The newly-elected Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou met New Democracy’s MP from Kozani Michalis Papakonstantinou at a reception. The two politicians had a warm greeting, as they shared common history and their relations were tested during the Apostasy.
Michalis Papakonstantinou was Deputy Minister of Defense in the Georgios Papandreou government and belonged to “Andreas’ group”. Their paths separated in 1974 after the dictatorship was overthrown, when Michalis Papakonstantinou did not respond to the call for PASOK’s foundation.
The Prime Minister told him “what a shame that you are not with me now!”, with Papakonstantinou responding that “I did not agree with your slogans then” and the PASOK founder countering that “I thought you were smart enough to understand that I did not mean any of them!”
This dialog is always relevant as the years go by and the political turnovers are are multiplying, rather than being restricted.
The political developments are leading to a Samaras – Tsipras show down. The two relatively young political leaders must rid public life of the political myths insulting our intelligence; let us be done with “there is money” type fairy tales, let us not hear any more cynical discussion that subvert the political life.
The solution is simple. Those with ambitions of assuming authority must have specific proposals; a program and not promises.
The would-be destroyers of the polity are taking advantage of the unreliability of the existing order.
Stavros P. Psycharis
– Originally published in the Sunday print edition
