The way the government is being put to the rack by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and all the reaction that this is provoking, resembles the government’s own efforts to impose order on Greece through measures against tax evasion, completion of the land register, charting of forest land, and so on.
The fact that basic elements of a state – like a land register and credible tax system – have not been accomplished for over 200 years does not mean that they should not move ahead today. But it is unavoidable that there will be some who, used to acting differently, will find themselves in sudden difficulties and will protest loudly. Often, those who feel the pinch believe that they are being dealt with unfairly, arguing that “Everyone does it, why should we have to pay?” In this way, the lifting of parliamentary immunity of 13 members of Parliament belonging to the ruling New Democracy party, and the investigation into the OPEKEPE farm subsidy scandal, have caused great joy among opposition parties and protests from leading government members who claim that this is an intervention in Greece’s domestic politics, with one even going so far as to imply that it is an attack on democracy.
The protests prove that the institution of the European Prosecutor was late in coming, as it began to function only in mid-2021. If it had started earlier, today we would not be going through this political turmoil, nor would the issue of farm subsidies have gotten so out of hand. Perhaps even the country’s railway system (and the way its personnel were chosen) would not have been in the state they were in on the fatal night of the Tempe train collision.
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi responded to the criticism that she and the institution have been facing in Greece, in statements at the Delphi Forum on Thursday. For this comment, these can be summarized in her saying that she cannot accept the frequently heard, “This is how we do things in Greece.” This was sure to annoy some, despite Kovesi making clear that Greece does not have a monopoly on corruption.
Her comment is an indirect reference to the dismissive “Bon pour l’Orient” (Good enough for the East) that has long denoted things of lower quality. We all – government, opposition, and citizens – should have the same thought, that things must change. If we really do want to get rid of long-term problems, that is.