How Greece Squandered Its Freedom

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How Greece Squandered Its Freedom

by Nikos Konstandaras

NEW YORK. (Op-Ed New York Times). MY country is hurtling toward an election that will decide its fate — whether Greeks will fight on to remain part of Europe’s core or succumb to their own weaknesses and turn inward, choosing isolation, anger and uncertainty greater than that from which they wish to flee. The vote on Sunday will change our lives — determining not only whether we remain in the euro zone but also the nature of our society and the fate of the democracy that was re-established

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June 15, 2012

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9 readers comments


1. Dionysios Markopoulos wrote on June 15, 2012 9:30 AM	Excellent article.

2. Nicholas Kostopoulos wrote on June 15, 2012 9:57 AM	Unfortunately, one of the best articles on current Greece I have seen. Also it is all so true, now we wait for the future of poor Greece. It will be rough, and God only knows where it will take them.

3. Niko Seretis wrote on June 15, 2012 11:25 AM	Every one living in Greece and abroad needs to read this.

4. Philip Vorgias wrote on June 15, 2012 11:37 AM	Well written, but I think the decision on Sunday is marked and clear-you can either vote for staying in Europe or you can vote for economic catastrophe. Staying in europe will be a tough slog for several more years, but the alternative is becoming Albania-2. It's clearcut to me, but Greeks have demonstrated several times in their modern history that they're ruled by passion rather than common sense.

5. ARMODIOS PAPAGIANAKIS wrote on June 17, 2012 1:30 AM	What a bunch of pathetic drivel from a managing editor / columnist of Greece’s leading newspaper. I can’t believe, all of you, fawning over this sentimental claptrap. I’d like to know which political party(s) he voted for over the course of his 25 yearlong adult life and why? Which political party did his (newspaper) employer endorse during his professional tenure and why? He cites “two deeply flawed” political choices as ND and Syriza yet conspicuously omits PASOK. Somehow, this seemingly educated fellow, who for 25 years “watched half his salary” goes to taxes, was oblivious to Greece’s pre EU, well documented and well bloated bureaucracy and now can only remember ND spending Greece to insolvency from 2004 to 2009.

6. Philip Vorgias wrote on June 17, 2012 9:08 AM	PASOK was every bit as guilty as any party in Greece, Armodios. In fact, it was THE most guilty party as far as creating the nanny-state which destroyed Greece. Mr. Konstandaras probably telegraphs his own biases by the lack of proper focus in criticising them, but the main point in his article is right on. Greece has been poorly served by nearly all it's elected class, without omission. On that we should all agree.

7. Nicholas Kostopoulos wrote on June 19, 2012 2:24 PM	I agree with you Philip that PASOK's nanny state caused most of this mess. They catered to the Greeks who like everyone want to retire early without working hard, and want huge retirement income. ND is no better, but PASOK and its socialist ties followed it core beliefs, hence this mess was born to Greece.

8. Dionysios Markopoulos wrote on June 19, 2012 3:29 PM	Yes, PASOK is the origin of this concept of "vote for me and I'll get you or your relative a job in the beauracracy" and in the heavy corrupt state. But New Democracy continued the same policies. And both parties stole heavily. They borrowed and stole. And now Greece is stuck with a huge beauracracy it can't afford and a huge debt to service. Meanwhile, all that money that was stolen and taken out of the country is sitting somewhere benefitting the crooks while the Greek people suffer and while Greece itself is in danger of collapse as a country.

9. Philip Vorgias wrote on June 19, 2012 4:11 PM	Dionysios is absolutely correct, and you won't find me defending Costas Karamanlis and his Administration. They betrayed their alleged conservative principles by being every bit as corrupt as PASOK.
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