General elections (Jul. 7, 2019) and a new Government

[athinaios]

I don't see a topic devoted to this election, which takes place today... actually the first polling places are just opening now.

So, what do you think of the result--which if polls are correct--a new government (or a winning party) will emerge soon after voting ends later tonight.

As an ex-pat, I can't vote tomorrow since I'm not traveling to Greece and to the edge (near Galatsi and Perisso) of the city of Athens to cast a ballot. I confess that it wouldn't be an easy vote. I've been reading Nikos Dimou [or if you prefer, link in English] since I was a teenager, many decades ago. I also had the pleasure to exchange many thoughts, over a long time, with him and a bunch of other interesting people over a decade ago.

Anyway, this is what he wrote in the last few days about the elections:

http://doncat.blogspot.com/2019/06/blog-post_13.html#links

http://doncat.blogspot.com/2019/07/blog-post.html#links

 

[Soprano76]

I think that ND is the only serious party in Greece. I have (possibly misguided) hopes for Mitsotakis

[Athens4]

To be honest voting in Greece is like having to choose who takes your wife home at the end of night.

Joking aside, on one hand I am happy that Syriza's days are over but then I can't even imagine what Mitsotakis will do. Dare I say our very own Pablo Escobar (Marinakis) will become even more powerful now (Olympiakos to win the next 8 championships at least).

There is only one type of regime that would sort Greece out. Nearly everyone in Greece believes the same but nobody ever says it out in the open.

[athinaios]

Speaking of political parties in Greece...

They started with the British, French, Russian parties! Interesting, heh? Then the parties became personalistic and paternalistic---coalitions around a charismatic leader' this is still largely the case. Only one party survived many changes in leadership, and it's been the KKE. After the fall  of the junta, we see the emergence of parties that survived after changing leaders, but for relatively short time for most of them. ND seems it'll be around for a while longer, as the only major party surviving since 1974. 

In my view, the political parties and the voters reflect the prevailing culture, and if you want to understand what's going on today, you have to examine the culture and politics since the Revolution.

 

Anyway, it seems that ND will have a comfortable majority in parliament. Like I wished Tsipras good success, I'm doing the same for Mitsotakis. Tsipras was an utter disappointment and needed to go. I have relatives and friends in the old country, and it's their lives I care about. At least one generation has been stunted and everyone has suffered because of the situation, which governments and most citizens created. (imho)

[Lazarus]

Let see if Greece is ready to take baby-steps towards a better government for all Greek people. While history is not on Greece's side, maybe some Greeks did learn something from the financial crisis and everything that led up to it. Only time will tell. For now, removing Tsipras and SYRIZA from government is a step in the right direction.

 

[Bashibozuk]

It is well known that a people which uses the word πεσκέσι (Greek) or peşkeş (Persian/Turkish) gets the parasitic government that it deserves. The government plunders the country, enrich the insiders and rains bonbons to its base

[Pepito]

14 hours ago, Bashibozuk said:

It is well known that a people which uses the word πεσκέσι (Greek) or peşkeş (Persian/Turkish) gets the parasitic government that it deserves. The government plunders the country, enrich the insiders and rains bonbons to its base

I don't recall a similar word in the US English language (or Spanish for that matter), but yet it appears that the symptoms of the government plundering the country while enriching the insiders are all there for the USA and for Mexico. Can you please explain how that is possible? Is it that we are becoming 'Greeker' without knowing it?

[Alphonse]

Thank god Syriza is out

[Bashibozuk]

I don't recall a similar word in the US English language (or Spanish for that matter), but yet it appears that the symptoms of the government plundering the country while enriching the insiders are all there for the USA and for Mexico. Can you please explain how that is possible? Is it that we are becoming 'Greeker' without knowing it?

1. Elementary logic claims that if A-->X and B-->X, it does not follow that A=B

2. Mexico has a word that explains almost all of its problems: mordida.

3. Catholism is the worst version of Christianity: Indeed, if one read

   a) “El Matarero” by Esteban Echeverria

   b) about the massacre of St. Bartholomew's  night

   c) about the slaughter of the Cathars

   One would not need any explanation concerning Mexico and the rest of the .Latin America.

In the US people like Trump and Clinton (see the pardon of Mr. Rich) can be corrupt but the bureaucrats are rarely corrupt.

[athinaios]

I think it's a good thing that Mitsotakis will have comfortable majority, though this means no excuses.

I'm also glad that the anti-constitution Golden Dawn is out of parliament. The other 2 smaller parties are temporary in my opinion. I'm not talking about the KKE, which will remain for a long time.

Syriza's coalition will be tested. KINAL's too. I think there's a place for a center-left party, so one may emerge as the counter-weight to ND.