The angered anti-government protests of the farmers all over Greece are yet another message and lesson for SYRIZA’s leadership. The government is reaping today what it sowed the previous years. There was not strike, demonstration or protests from any social group, whether their demands were fair or not, that was not supported and bolstered by SYRIZA.

Whether it was closing down roads, raiding public services or ministries, there was no social demonstration that was not blessed by the opposition at the time, as part of the anti-bailout and anti-government struggle. With its eye focused on assuming power, SYRIZA supported all sorts of protests, making promises left and left and disregarding what it would have to face in a few months. The extreme populism in which it invested though had a boomerang effect…

There is no dough that the farmers, just like a large section of society, are affected by the changed included in the pension and tax reform. It is also a give that their response was expected, since in the past they have managed to satisfy their demands to a great extent with similar actions.

The problem for the government is that it is unable to understand that the half truths and lies cannot convince anyone that it is defending, as it claims, the interests of society and the people. Without a plan, with hastily thought up and inefficient measures it is trying to balance between the bailout demands that it agreed to and the promises it generously made.

With the negotiation for the program review turning out to be difficult and problematic, with large social groups against it, there is little room left for any further populist management. Either the government leadership will dare to overcome itself and its past, or it will quickly realize that the societal acceptance it received is running out…

TO VIMA