The sun is shining in Greece all of a sudden, burning depression and vaporizing anger. The horrible agony of the last weeks turned into joy, an apparently irrational joy because nothing has changed and dangers are still lurking, imminent and critical.
Half of us are pleased because they are expecting ND to win the elections. The other half are pleased because they are expecting SYRIZA to win the elections. On the other hand, the markets, the EU and the Athens stock exchange seem to have calmed down because they have forecast the result of the elections: ND. The Germans, who didn’t even want to meet Antonis Samaras in the past, have put a price on PASOK’s head and are feeling such joy upon hearing that Antonis Samaras has taken the lead in the polls that they have started talking about a third rescue package all by themselves!
Regardless of which of the two major parties (ND and SYRIZA; forget PASOK – Evangelos Venizelos seems to have accepted the fact and is organizing ultra mini gatherings in Korydallos!) wins the elections, people are largely relieved because the elections indicate not only relief of pressure but also return to our democratic tradition. If we don’t allow the institutional (through elections) people’s will to be expressed because “we are lost”, it is both a trap and loss of our national independence.
If the…beloved will of the people leads to a positive outcome concerning our finances, we will all be much happier! It is better to watch the Battle of Thermopylae in a movie than experience it – especially during the greek summer, instead of being on an island!
If ND wins the elections and forms a government, I don’t want to believe what SYRIZA opponents accuse the leftist party of and Alexis Tsipras himself seems to have implied: the organization of “militant” demonstrations and “popular” reactions. They would sink the country in no time at all and they would also be against the people’s will as expressed twice within the last 40 days.
Yet, a handful of people are enough to do damage. The same does not apply to progress – unity is needed. What exactly was the Civil War? 25.000 guerillas coming from ELAS against the national army…
It is time we put an end to the myths of modern Greece (the ancient myths, on the other hand, do not distort History nor pertain to us only; they are the backbone of the Western fiction and are still bringing money to Hollywood – see the new blockbuster “Prometheus”).
Of course, we can’t expect miracles if we remain in the eurozone. Difficulties will still exist. However, if we stop rewarding unworthy and lazy people and if we begin punishing “our own folk”, both an outcome of the role parties play in every aspect of our life, we will be fine. Especially now that the EU seems determined to move forward to political integration and a banking union within the next months. If we remain inside the “egg”, we will find a way and we will survive. As we always did, with the exception of national disasters…
In any case, we can’t put aside the “gift” of SYRIZA and Alexis Tsipras, whose success gave his party such high percentages. This gift is his “madness”, his freshness, his bravado, his youth. No matter how likable and gentle Dimitris Papadimoulis is, there is no way he could have appeared on the front page news all over the world with the subtitle “The man who makes global markets tremble”. Not even in a single-columned ironic comment.
The high percentages of the SYRIZA leader and the party itself, which attracted voters from all political and social habitats, can be used as a negotiating card. Just like Spain and its too-big-to-fail size. I compare it to the “Madonna” phenomenon: a marginally cute girl at the threshold of her thirties with a good albeit not special voice managed to change the course of History, evolving into one of the most profitable multinational enterprises ever while creating a more or less normal family of her own! You can have everything if you are lucky, work hard and have audacity.
We can see it everywhere at any time: the marketing of nothing at skyrocketing prices. Based on this model, Europe “produces” civilizations. The USA, financial services and products. Thin air, to put it in other words. Nevertheless, since we live in a capitalist society, “nothing” is not nothing when others evaluate it expensively.
But if the elections lead to “the same story” (a coalition government of ND and PASOK with Fotis Kouvelis as a leftist alibi), the nothing we will be led to is going to be a hundred times more “nothing” than anything else. If ND comes first and is able to govern with Fotis Kouvelis alone, it will be a historical mistake to put PASOK back in the game at a time when voters seem to be punishing it, locking it in the time closet of History, as the late Andreas Papandreou used to say.
