Only hypocrites or the deliberately obtuse can claim not to have understood what happened in the European elections.
Because, one, there’s nothing complicated about it, and two, it’s clear as day.
New Democracy didn’t bother actually talking to the voters, never so much as mentioned the things that concern them, so it’s no surprise many preferred the beach to listening to hours of self-satisfied prattle.
SYRIZA never stopped, with Kasselakis doing the talking but saying very little—his performance more an acute case of verbal narcissism garnished with a host of selfies.
PASOK adopted the tedious tone of the SYRIZA of old—the one the voters have already rejected in previous elections.
The result provides a snapshot of all three. But, like all snapshots, it portrays something already past.
Given, of course, that the European elections are not directly linked to the governance of the country and its internal issues.
The parties and their leaders will sort the rest out.
The Prime Minister is already struggling to form a new Cabinet out of material old and new, while the rest are trying to keep their heads above water, or to book their holidays.
Which is reasonable. Because the bitter truth is that the important stuff happens a long way from here and without much thought spared for our provincial squabbles.
Tomorrow, Monday, will see the process of forming a new leadership begin in the European Union, and let’s not forget that we have two wars raging on our doorstep, in Ukraine and Gaza.
I hope they both wind up just as quickly as they possibly can, but it’s far from certain they will.
Especially with key European nations like France and Germany in a state of internal disarray that could lead who knows where, and the US elections coming up in November.
Can we really expect Europe to pull off a reboot in conditions as uncertain as these? No one can guarantee it, and we might as well assume it won’t—however crucial a fresh start may be.
In any case, Greece is in the thick of things, cashing in on its stability. And that’s positive in itself. It’s just not enough.
The return of a recently traumatized and discredited country to the European stage requires serious and methodical work by its government, and more.
Of course, we have three election-free years ahead of us, which could be time enough to put the past behind us and see things clearly and level-headedly.
But we live in Greece. Let’s not have too many illusions.
