As would be expected public opinion is focused on the new government.
Its decisions and actions will affect the lives of everyone, both those who voted it into office and those who did not.
Thankfully, its first moves indicate that the government has no self-deceptions about what lies ahead.
It was evident from the first cabinet meeting that there has been serious preparation on a wide range of issues.
It is unprecedented at least for Greece for ministers to be handed envelopes outlining the duties and targets of each ministry and to be informed that they will be constantly monitored by a team operating under the PM.
Obviously, that positive signal does not suffice. Briefings and coordination are fine, but all else will be judged by the results.
In Greece we have had our fill of theories and promises but in terms of deeds and results we have been lacking.
One does not forget that in the past we have heard pledges of modesty and humility that were not fulfiled. To be fair, it is too soon to draw solid conclusions.
What is certain is that the new ministers, politicians and technocrats, are not beginning their work as apprentices. They are cognisant of the difficulties and challenges with which they will be confronted.
The first measures on which the government is focusing – structural measures, tax policy, and public order measures– appear to meet the expectations that were created.
How they are implemented, how effective they will be, and to what degree they will meet Greece’s commitments to creditors remains to be seen.
Yet there appears to be an opportunity and a desire for a new beginning without the dysfunctions and ideological fixations of the past.
The next months will show whether these positive expectations will be met or whether they will be hindered by bureaucratic red tape and the chronic dysfunctions of harsh Greek realities.
