The confidence vote which the government survived in parliament may have legitimised it but it did not solve the country’s political problem.
The extreme clash that we witnessed during the parliamentary debate presages the environment that will prevail during the weeks or months until the general election.
If one factors in the extremities in the debate on ratification of the Greece-FYROM Prespa Agreement, it is obvious that the climate of division has spread to a large segment of society.
In theory, everyone condemns the targeting of individuals but in fact it is tolerated. The vile attacks against government MPs during the anti-memorandum protests, in which SYRIZA played a leading role, are unfortunately being repeated.
Clearly, the longer this situation continues and as the electoral campaign reaches a fevered pitch the climate of division will intensify, with serious repercussions on the country’s political culture and on the endurance and tolerance of society, at least for the segment that refuses to be dragged along by extremities and that is watching political life with anxiety and melancholy.
Those who believed that the exit from the bailout memorandum era which Mr. Tsipras constantly touts would put an end to political extremities and populist rhetoric and that the country would return to political normalcy have seen their hopes dashed.
Instead of discussing how the country, its economy, and society can recover from the nightmare of the crisis, what we see is the return of the same tense climate that undermined Greece’s exit from the memorandum.
As a result, we are again heading toward elections with society divided and with the political class unable to inspire people as it is preoccupied with actions that undermine the future.
The country deserves better, as do the citizens who all these years have been paying for the sins of the political system.
