There are moments when one gets the strong sense that Greece exists as a nation thanks to sheer luck, or better yet, God’s will.

During the feast of the Dormition on August 15^th, this empirical assurance becomes even stronger, as if the Theotokos intervenes each time Greece reaches the edge of the cliff and allows it to continue its historic path, against all rational arguments to the contrary.

According to Sherlock Holmes, “when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” The centuries-old empirical knowledge of the Greek people, who place “all their hope” in the Mother of God, reinforces this viewpoint. Developments over the past few decades further underscore this point; especially when the state mechanism seems powerless in the face of destructive wildfires that grow more dangerous by the year. This summer, they even ended up threating the capital!

Fighting forest fires is certainly no easy task. Even large countries, with far more resources, often succumb to nature’s rage. However, like its predecessors, the current Government exhibits a lack of adequate preparation and effective planning. The colossal damages caused by wildfires in recent years is a glaring example that something is wrong with the firefighting strategy…and chalking failures up to climate change isn’t going to solve anything.

Of course climate conditions play an important role, but Greece has survived throughout history by implementing the necessary changes to adjust to circumstances. Today, the Government is compelled to reevaluate its strategic planning, to the extent that it exists, to ensure that deficiencies can quickly be identified and resolved. This is the mark of good leadership.

Until now, reforms have focused on citizen protection, not stopping the actual wildfires. The national alert system and the mass evacuation of threatened areas aim at saving lives and not reliving past disasters, where dozens died fleeing at the last minute. However, this strategy overlooks that many homes and entire areas were saved in the past because more experienced residents stayed behind to help put out flames entering their yards. Instead of simply imposing mass evacuations, which eliminates extra defense against the spread of wildfires and creation of new fronts.

It would be expedient to also set up a training program for volunteers, who could provide pivotal assistance on the front by helping firefighters put out smaller flames approaching new areas – provided that the situation is manageable.

Naturally, this mentality surpasses firefighting alone and extends to all areas of collective cooperation against various threats to the nation. During difficult situations, when the capabilities of the state mechanism are limited or even non-existent due to the emergency situation, the coordinated effort of properly trained citizens could prove decisive. There are many lessons Greece could learn from nations facing immediate threats; i.e., a war. The absence of planning for the best possible way to manage such threats constitutes negligence.

Furthermore, much has been written regarding identifying the best means to handle wildfires. For example, following the onset of fighting in Ukraine, some argue that the appearance of wildfires afflicting Greece for days coincided with the decision to stop leasing the humongous Russian firefighting aircraft Beriev, which was done previously. Only the experts can speak to whether this is a coincidence, but it would be unforgivable if the Government refused to upgrade its firefighting arsenal based purely on ideological reasons. In such situations, where a country faces immediate dangers, leadership must do its best to protect the population and its natural wealth. This is something that allies respect, so long as participation in such alliances is not tantamount to servitude. This is a mentality that goes beyond just firefighting, extending to all crises threating the nation (migration, energy, defense, etc.).

Finally, government policies need to be continuously evaluated and revised. Since experience states that homes built illegally in fire-stricken lands don’t get knocked down and Greece is currently facing a serious housing issue, arson aiming at the commercial exploitation of forestry must be handled differently. The solution likely involves creating motives for those interested in developing new homes in forest lands to take on the responsibility for the reforestation of the surrounding land. It’s high time that the Government put the squeeze on violators, instead of constantly adopting horizontal solutions.

Although Greece faces constant threats, it continues to produce a leadership that displays minute interest in imposing a culture of safety. Leadership always seems to be reacting to developments instead of creating them…

Ultimately, for Greeks, entreating the Theotokos and her Son is the sole empirically proven rational explanation for its longevity… because if we placed our hopes in the human (political) element, the nation would be little more than dust in the wind.

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