A NEW BEGINNING -- OR IS IT?
Q & A
Τάσσος Συμεωνίδης
(RIEAS Academic Advisor)
Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 22 September 2019
Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS
The newly elected Mitsotakis administration is gathering praise from foreign media, investor interest is increasing, and the EU appears willing to review the strictures put upon Greece via the bailout agreements now that a new government is broadcasting all the right signals. Furthermore, Greek public opinion seems upbeat for the first time in a decade. Are we experiencing a genuine new beginning or is there a question mark attached to all this?
Every new beginning has its ups and downs. As of this moment, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis rides the crest of enthusiasm over the ejection of the radical leftists from power. But enthusiasm is a flitting phenomenon. The election result has not eliminated the many dire problems, created over the past 4- and 1/2-years, facing Greece. If anything, crises, like, for example, the yet again burgeoning invasion by “irregular” migrants, are here to stay for an indefinite time. Mitsotakis faces, first and foremost, the challenge of “managing” situations which, for all indents and purposes, appear (and, usually, are) unmanageable. He needs time and time he does not really have; Greek voters are exhausted after nearly five years of scandal upon scandal, horrendous mismanagement, and bone-crushing lies, and are thirsting for a breather. ..Read more