Finally! A major step forward and towards the country’s modernization was taken on Friday. The usual instructions from Brussels (Bailout 1, Bailout and Bailout 3) are now complete with the Prime Minister’s recommendations for his ministers.
What the Prime Minister essentially said to his ministers is that working is compulsory. The government officers must go to their offices every morning to work and not appear on morning chat shows on television.
Of course, if past experience is anything to go by, the Prime Minister’s recommendations will be filled away and forgotten – unless Mr. Tsipras intends to monitor his minister and is determined to reform his government as soon as he he concludes on its efficiency.
Experience and life teach us that similar instructions were never respected by ministers and all sorts of state officials.
Now it is the turn for Mr. Tsipras to try his patience and strength in examining the behavior of his ministers, deputy ministers, alternate ministers etc. Beyond the recommendations on timetables and working hours though, there is also a question regarding their efficiency. The current Prime Minister has expanded power, including of course of monitoring the efforts of his partners.
It is simple. A small notebook (like that one that Andreas Papandreou brought to Greece and which Kostas Simitis championed) is enough to remind him what he has assigned to each minister and remains unresolved.
The people are watching the administrative efforts of Mr. Tsipras with justified interest.
Stavros P. Psycharis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition
