If one were to attempt to approach the work of the government, one will realize that it is more damaging than anything else.

If one were to set aside the sector of public finances – where after a lot of hardship and effort the government was convinced to implement what has been agreed with our partners and creditors to achieve a terrifying balance via taxes and a hard, generalized restriction of expenses – everything else appears to be stagnant.

Internal conflicts, delays and postponements, without even any rudimentary progress, dominate in all productive ministries.

The case of Energy is indicative. The public electricity company DEI is immobilized, despite the ads which show it to be active. The relevant minister will not allow its management to take any precautionary measures to address the looming sustainability crisis. Of course we won’t even get into investments by the former steam engine of the Greek economy.

Nothing is happening with DEI, while the German-owned OTE in turn is only interested in its profits and is even avoiding to make its promised investments, the agreement with the Azeri SOCAR for DESFA has collapsed and even the investment for the TAP pipeline is at risk. The use of community funds has also stagnated, since there are no projects ready to receive funding, due to the infamous redistribution.

There are also no initiatives and new projects in the agricultural sector. The relevant minister limits himself to changing the legislation on forests as he is occupationally associated to them and nothing more. The farmers and everyone working in the primary sector are only seeing taxes and their obligations multiply. Public works are also suffering from this illness. The government is focusing on handing out minor works to friends and relatives, but not much more than that. No preparation to include any new major projects for support from community funding. Let us not even get into healthcare, education and other sectors where decline and downsizing prevail.

And of course the government has spent most of its time in controlling and manipulating the media, with the exclusive aim of establishing its propaganda. But even here the aim is not to create, but rather it is to destroy and redistribute. As an astute commenter has pointed out, SYRIZA is governing through us, namely by slandering the media and journalists indiscriminately, just like the fascists of the Far Right across the world systematically do.

Of course the policy of destruction is short term. Without any areas of creation and progress, Mr. Tsipras and co won’t get far. The people are slowly realizing the gap, disputing and do not have one good word for those in power anymore. It is only a matter of time to leave all alone, with the “Colombians” that they unashamedly praise.

Antonis Karakousis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition