Μake us preferred on Google Greek President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas has called for political stability and national unity, in an interview with the Athens daily Ta Nea, saying voters will ultimately determine whether stability is better served by a coalition or single-party government.
“The electorate will decide at the ballot box whether, under the circumstances, stability is better ensured by a coalition government or by a single-party government,” Tasoulas told Ta Nea Weekend.
He said he was not concerned about the prospect of political deadlock, arguing that if political forces fail to reach agreement, “someone will be held responsible for it” and, sooner or later, circumstances will “fall into place.”
Tasoulas also linked the eventual reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures with the possibility of Britain returning to Europe, describing their continued display at the British Museum as “continuous looting.”
On the rise of the far right across Europe, Tasoulas said Greece’s democratic system remained resilient, pointing to what he described as the Greek people’s ability since the restoration of democracy in 1974 to resist hatred, division and democratic backsliding.
He attributed the far right’s rise across Europe to economic and social factors, arguing that an inadequately regulated form of globalization had contributed to what he called a “melancholic democracy” — one whose responses to citizens’ concerns are often incomplete or inadequate.
Asked about declining trust in institutions, the judiciary and the rule of law, Tasoulas said the issue had been part of Greece’s public debate since the late 1980s. He stressed that distrust of institutions was not a modern phenomenon, pointing to the comedies of ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes as evidence that skepticism toward public authority has deep roots.
