Communications expert Spiros Rizopoulos
My opinion is that even after the second election race, no cabinet will be formed. That is because the message of the Greek people to the politicians is to agree with each other and learn to work together. This means that it is not so important whether Alexis Tsipras will be on the top and which party will receive the "bonus" of 50 seats. The point is that even if he were the first, he would not be able again to form a cabinet. I also think it is too early to say who will win, because I think Panos Kamenos’ blunder will help New Democracy, a possible alliance between Dora Bakogiannis, Stefanos Manos and LAOS, to enter parliament again. Alexis Tsipras’ insistence to throw Greece on the rocks can help PASOK and increase the percentage of the Democratic Left. He could have reached 30% but did not know how to do it. He has turned even more to the left, thinking that this could take votes from the Communist Party and PASOK. Yes, but there are two wings in PASOK. People who are for the reforms will not leave Evangelos Venizelos. It is interesting what will happen to Golden Dawn. I think they made some very serious mistakes from the beginning, they talk using soldier's terms and this shows a Greece which nobody wants. I do not mean that the results will completely change, but there will be a difference in the ratios.
Do you think that populism and the "drachma club" are the biggest enemies of Greece?
I think all parties feature populism. I just cannot say that one of them is less populist. Yes, I think this is the biggest problem of the country. Because of populism, we missed the chance to create a middle class. Furthermore, we in Greece believe that poverty is populism. Actually, such confusion is very common. For example, party headquarters take the middle-class for the social centre.
As for the "drachma club," I have a very personal opinion. As a person, I believe in dignity, I do not want anyone to underestimate me and I want to be accurate to my obligations. I am not an economist to tell you which currency – the euro or the drachma, is better for Greece. If the euro gives me the opportunity to be accurate to my duties and to belong to the civilized world - yes, let's stick with it. If the drachma gives me the opportunity to reorganize and return to the civilized world - let’s return to it. If staying in the euro requires severe sacrifices for the next 30 years – I do not want it. If the return to the drachma will maintain this sick situation, which Tsipras protects – I do not want it either. As a Greek, I am interested in having dignity, being respected by the people abroad and in having an economy that allows me to pay my obligations, while investing in the future at the same time. I do not care what currency I will use.
According to some politicians and commentators such as Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the people who want Greece to return to the drachma are some highly indebted businessmen and publishers, who want to come back then and buy everything on the cheap. What is the profile of these people in your opinion?
I do not know them. I do not belong to this "club". I have my own "club" and its motto is let me have dignity. This means not only to take but also to give things. I do not know these technical definitions of who belongs to the "club of the drachma or the euro." Ultimately, if things are really this way and Kyriakos Mitsotakis is right, the main reason for this is the political system itself. Then, if people are convinced that there are people who are willing for the country to collapse in order to save again the 50 families, who have created the banks, the events surrounding the elections should seem fully justified. Let us not see only one side of the coin.
Do you think that a pro-European front is likely to be formed?
No, there is no way. It is completely illogical to require your party to be called European Left and to disagree with some kind of a memorandum. It is simply not possible.
How would you comment on the call of the centre-right New Democracy leader for joining forces?
The union of the centre-right space is an artificial internal problem. In my opinion, Antonis Samaras was late in thinking of it. The moment he had agreed to participate in the government of consent in order for the country to be saved, he had the great opportunity to open the doors of the party and say, "What separated me from Dora Bakogiannis was the fact that she had voted for the memorandum and I had opposed it. This split between us no longer exists. Dora, come back to pull together the country out of the swamp." Similarly, he had to call all other liberal forces. If he had united centre-right forces then, he would not have 18% today.
I do not want to be unfair to him and i must say that all parties in Greece have a bad connection with the political momentum. They just do not feel it in time. And the one who had no feeling for it at all was George Papandreou and so, we find ourselves in this situation today. Things in the world that have a direct impact on us are moving at a much higher speed than that which the Greek political system is able to feel. Therefore, parties are constantly in a position of defence.
Nevertheless, even if they manage to organize this pro-European front, they will not be able to form an independent cabinet. Therefore, people have to forget for whom they voted in the previous elections.