A new Change for Greece

We are all searching for the new Andrea Papandreou, the new PASOK.

The leader or the scheme that will connote the beginning of the new Change, the beginning of a new era for Greece.

We are searching, all of us and in everything. Usually in the old cupboard of history, where are being buried all the junk, along with our most precious heirlooms.

  

Heirlooms that, unfortunately, are being taken out only in the difficult moments, the moments of despair, when every possible source has dry up and there is nothing more to be borrowed.

I did support George Papandreou since the beginning: If we want to be serious, he is the only politician who had -and still has – a political vision for a Greece worthy to its historical heritage. A Greece of Europe, socialistic, humanitarian and opened minded. For a Greece of progress, reformation and democracy.

George Papandreou failed and along with him failed the truly Left in our county. He failed because he got crushed between the “symplegades rocks” of a phenomenal size of crisis in the country and in the party. He failed because this moment of crisis, the shadow of Andreas Papandreou fell on his shoulders and mashed him in the eyes of Greeks. How unfair. How tragic.

But it was PASOK that failed above all, first and foremost. PASOK of Change, once upon a time a synonym of major incisions in the public affairs, with ground-breaking ideas and policies, new people, powerful and discreet public speech, positions and more importantly prospect. It failed because it transformed into the exact political system that was supposed to overthrow. At the end it sank into the murky waters of its own success.

PASOK based on two main aspects. Andrea’s Papandreou personality and abilities as a leader and in the principles of 3d of September as a vision of political action. These things are widely known to everyone and have been historically evaluated.

My opinion is that 3d of September principles remain the timeless appropriate political foundations for a nationally sovereign policy, no matter who is leading the Greek parliament.

The principles of 3d of September should be the vision and the mission of every Greek democrat. They are a political “Holly Book”, long term credible and punctual, that it is imperative that they will keep in their mind those who represent the values of the true Left in our homeland.

Today, when charlatanism, empathy, stupidity and cluelessness of Syriza government and their accomplices of the fake Left has put in tremendously difficult situation principle elements of the polity and -soon enough I am afraid – our national sovereignty, it is vital that we will remember few things.

• National Independence: For a Greece free of debts and memorandums, that is a country that will be able to decide for its own destiny by having full control of its finances. It is required the restructure of its productive basis. For a Greece with strong borders and leading position in the Balkans and South East Europe. Reorganisation of the Army is a must. The priorities of defence and security within Europe, the restart of diplomatic relation with our partners and allies with EU, NATO and neighbours on new grounds. Grounds of national sovereignty and not of subjugation on other’s interests.

• Public dominance: Immediate Parliamentary Revision and full independence of powers. Immediate division of Church and state. Immediate cleanse of public life from interweaving and the cliental system of justice appliance.  Immediate end on every syndicalism that changes the nature of the working demands in aim to serve mafia and internal consumption politics style’s interests. Immediate decentralization and transfer of power in the local communities with draconian rules of power assignation and directly democratic procedures. Absolute end in bureaucracy, transparency, publication of every constitutional action. Immediate end in permanent work in the public sector and whenever is necessary activation of the laws about the responsibility of parliament members and ministers.

• Social emancipation: Reshaping and modernization of the law in every aspect. Review of the legislation and the function of justice and police based on social priorities. Application of the laws and the constitution at any cost in aim to protect the weak and poor. Immediate end of inequalities in work and end of relations between state and private sector. Immediate review of taxation. Immediate and realistic motives for start-up companies in the countryside with focus in the agricultural high value economy and the luxury tourism. Immediate cancelation of every restriction in higher education’s access. Immediate review of the educational schedule with emphasis in technology and innovation. 

• Democratic procedures: Elections every five years. Support of the power of President of Democracy as independed and timeless guardian of the polity. Review of the electoral laws and right of participation in the election from the age of sixteen. Direct rights for the legal migrants. Direct motivations for return to the motherland and right in participation in elections for the Greeks who live abroad.  Modernization of governing via electronic administration everywhere. Immediate announcement of competition for Television broadcasting licence and prohibition of one’s ability to be publisher and in the same time participate in other business activities, so we will ensure an honest and independed information of the public.

The above mentioned are only few examples that everyone could think and write.

The main problem today is not how we will name a new party or what directions we will give it. It is not even an issue -if you wish- of whom the party will be made and directed by.

The main problem today is which one, which Greeks and which citizens, a renewed political formation will actually represent. A political formation that will be the successor of PASOK, heir of the vision for a true Left in Greece.

PASOK, when was formed, direct its actions in an electoral body that truly wanted something new in relation to Karamanlis and the right wing. Addressed a society with conscious understanding of social claims. Spoke to people who already had an experience of a politically stacked situation and they wished to try the new alternative.  Today the crisis disdained years of wellbeing and rights, disdain the idea of politics itself. Greeks feel betrayed by the system. Today Greeks have realized that politics is just adrift of the invisible international capital.

PASOK of 1974 called on an economy that, although it was not flourishing – more likely the exact opposite – though it was not destroyed as it is today. Called to a country that was in international isolation due to the cue and the Turkish invasion in Cyprus, but today is in international isolation due to lack of trust and debt. Called to the less privileged, whereas today the majority of the Greeks are former privileged, remembering forty years of benefits and life standard based on political change over.

Which political system can produce today some mechanism, some new idea, some reformation when its voters are also its clients and business partners? How can it do so by reproducing the cliental system of workers and pensioners of the public sector?

So, this is where the Change must start, from the separation and end of this cliental system on which participate both politicians and citizens and which is responsible for our country’s destruction.

The first step towards that is the disconnection of the political life from the work, something that I remind you was introduced by Eleftherios Venizelos for totally different reasons many years ago.

Only that way some fresh clean water will run after long and will be possible for new faces, new ideas and new political suggestions to exist and represent the larger part of the Greeks, not only those who directly relate with the state or those who act permanently unpunished within the monster of black economy.

The new PASOK and the new Andreas, will then be products of those conditions.

And not bad imitations and reproductions of a rot reality that constantly pops off and creates metastasis, until it will die for sure. 

Assumption Morning (Impressions of a tourist in Greece)

Απόδοση στα Αγγλικά του κειμένου μου "Δεκαπενταύγουστος πρωί"

Assumption of the Virgin Mary day, ten o’clock in the morning. I'm in the kitchen trying to cool off in search of a glass of cold water from the fridge. The TV broadcasts the booming voice of a priest urging the clergy from the pulpit to react to austerity measures. An excellent political speech delivered from a person dressed in golden robes, bearing a large cross on his lapel, worth of several thousand euros. The Greek crisis has not affected the Greek Church - one of the paradoxes of these recent years of agony and financial struggle for the Greek people. At the end of the mass, everybody sing in chorus the Greek national anthem, in contrast with the hymns honouring Virgin Mary. Welcome to Greece, year of our Lord, 2014. The hopes of the Greek people have been definitely deposited in the divine. And certainly not in the divine epiphany in the heads of their politicians.

We arrived at the Athens airport rather late that night and the arrivals hall was empty from people. Some of the few who were still working after hours serving refreshments at a distant bar, bored no attention to the tired travellers from London. Our families greeted us with a warm hug that eventually became unbearably warm because of the heat of more than 35 degrees Celsius and excessive humidity, just a few meters away from the airport’s main building. We have landed back home after just six months of absence. An awkward feeling blocked my chest while I was loading our luggage into a rental car. Nothing had changed. Not even the usual dangerous drivers tailgating our car in the motorway, with the music from their stereos blasting the night’s dead silence.

The 40 minute long journey to our home in Lavrion was indifferent. I could still remember every turn and every crossing of the road, ending at a sea harbour. The town centre was unusually crowded and swarms of young people were having fun, speeding around on their noisy motorbikes, and laughing out loud, no matter the late hour. Everyone holding an ice cream or a souvlaki in hand, totally restless. I suggested that we join them to celebrate our return home, but my wife suggested that we should rest after a long day. After all, our vacation had just begun. The next morning at the supermarket, I faced an early shock. The supermarket cashier asked us 60 euros to check out. I could have sworn that the value of our deodorant and a few milk cartons together with a package of nappies for our little one, would not exceed 25 pounds. Me and Clairy exchanged a quick glance of disbelief and asked again the cashier to confirm the transaction. There had been no mistake though. This was lately confirmed positively by our friends and relatives.

Our perception was correct, the prices were outrageous. In a country that is going through its worst crisis in its recent history while the average wage has hit rock bottom, the prices of food and basic necessities still remain unchanged-if not increased, too. I have repeatedly asked my friends and acquaintances, how they could manage with such high prices in shops, petrol and services. Nobody seems to know the answer because after a while they all change subject, as if they want to exorcise a menacing demon flying over their heads. Probably the recent taxation named ENFIA (unified tax for the individual real estate property) - another hike, equivalent to a confiscation of individual property. As almost everybody, myself also, I will have to pay 1000 euros for my 40 year old inherited house build by my grandfather. My sister, mother, father and aunt, they also have to pay tax, for the same property. All of us have to pay this unbelievable amount of tax, all of the suntanned Greeks who are carelessly enjoying their cheap coffee by the sea. Which- fortunately- is still cheap. 1 euro and 20 cents for a cold cappuccino is a real bargain –thank God.

Coffee was also the selected refreshment for the suntanned public employees struggling to offer us public service at the town hall of Lavrion, as soon as we requested them to procure some documents to renew our son’s passport. They remained indifferent and calm, letting us wait for only half hour under the rumble of the air conditioner. A police officer (the police is currently renewing the Greek passports), a little later, has blinked his eye on me with a gesture of understanding. The town hall documents would remain unnecessary, due to a last minute change of the law. We needed different papers and we had to ask for them ourselves-again, from a different public agency. A common problem for the sun resting and swimming all day, Greek people. You never know what the public servants are going to ask from you. Everything regarding the relationship between citizen and state, constantly changes. Maybe a proof that the Greek legislators never go on holiday.

By the end of our pursuit for collaboration with the Greek authorities, we decided to rest by the sea on the shore just a 5 minute drive from our house. I was surprised by the view of the barred and shut closed cantina-bar that loomed above the rare trees on the edge of the beach. We found out that the owners did not get a license to operate this year and therefore the bar was empty so no noise and no disruption of a fantastic summer view. But guess what. The once sandy beach was overshadowed by tons of cigarette butts and trash all around. Honestly I do not remember to have ever seen so many cigarette butts per square of sand on a public beach. It occurred to me that it was the unfortunate outcome of the ceasing of enterprise by the bar owners. When they were around, no trash or garbage could be found. Once the municipality assumed the duties of maintenance and cleaning of that public beach, trash and cigarettes returned all over the place. Just like the devout Greeks, who once again felt free to smoke and to drink cheap coffee without any fear of ban for polluting the environment. Back in the 80s era. Mats, umbrellas, plastic chairs and barefoot families seated around skewers, refreshments and small Radios playing local hits. Shortly followed by beach fires and tens of bottles of beer and youth parties by the beach. The blue sea and some boats in the background giving the folklore hints. Public TV advertising the famous Greek summer and the record arrivals of tourists arriving by charter flights on all inclusive deals. Perhaps the economy is finally on the road to development. I do not know the truth. I did not see anything to grow other than misery and cheapness around me. And despair.

Another obligation in the Athens city centre lead us to the famous Kolonaki square, an elite and unchanged area full of expensive stores and coffee lounges. Everything was running like yesterday, crisis or not. Exactly the opposite feeling struck me a mile further while I was crossing the politically active neighbourhood of Exarheia, the centre of riots and recent tumult. Barred and empty shops, no people around what looked like a desert landscape. A few more miles further at my old residence near the Saint Panteleimon square, a theatre of recent racist attacks from members of the right wing party of Golden Dawn, a swarm of happy children were playing undisturbed. New shops have opened and immigrants walking on the streets. Mostly Bulgarian and Romanian is my understanding. I wonder why people seem to be around in the morning time and when the sun sets everybody disappears steam in the air, just off, without a specific direction. A family of gypsies from Romania, sitting down on rugs on the sidewalk, having dinner, while the mother of the family is helping her youngest. It is late hours, just after 11 o clock and I observe the few people that come out of the dark corners and wander like ghosts. The vast Acharnon Avenue looks like a deserted runway with dense vegetation on its right and left. The unbearable heat and humidity make me wish for a cold shower to let my senses cool off. My mind travelling to our new home thousands of miles away, and back, playing games with my anxiety trapped between the 'before' and the 'after' of our lives. I feel so confused. What I left behind me is worse than I imagined. And instead of nostalgia I urge the days to pass and take me back to Crawley.

Eventually the whole family, acquaintances and friends gather around a large table in the tavern to celebrate the birthday of our child. Dishes come and go, the appetizers are amazing and the drinks cool and refreshing. I participate in funny dialogue and jokes and wonderful family time. The children making bubbles made ​​from soap and water running around the tables and that exactly is the moment I take inside my chest with all the Greek summer sun, the cool breeze of the sea, the faces of the people I love. Soon the bill arrives, the guests have to leave for their own homes and the birthday cake with the candles, left on the table, as a reminder of the great feast that preceded earlier. The same sense of hospitality and love I sensed during a little trip we made to Corinth to visit a couple of our new friends. Unknown until yesterday, known and loved from now on. With a heart full of wishes and a table full of goodies. And I can’t stop wondering. Are these people truly making a difference in modern Greece? Those who still believe in healthy human relationships, those who care for the fellow citizen? Or are we condemned to endure the existence of those decadent, selfish and arrogant that prevailed all these years of the so called Greek prosperity era?

With a sweet nougat taste from some traditional candy in my mouth and mixed feelings, I come to closing my first impressions from the country of my birth from the perspective of a tourist. I confess that I have not yet decided if I would really like to go back again soon, that's for sure. My heart says yes, my mind refuses to discuss the possibility. I leave it to chance and to the hope that maybe something will change, that something will be different next time I will visit Greece.

And as he and a friend of mine stated the other day, the word "nostalgia" does not exist in the English language. Maybe for the better ...

(Many thanks to mr. Stan Draenos for his help in proofreading and commenting on the draft edition)