REPORTERNET.COM

We often hear our politicians promising to prepare a national recovery plan, although such a plan already exists. It is the European ’s Agenda 2020, in the framework of which every member-state has set –and the Commission has approved- its own ambitious goals for growth, the structure of the economy, environmental protection, job creation etc.

Election time is approaching and Greece’s foreign creditors have already begun suggesting they will wait for the results before adopting a concrete stance.

Greek crime statistics for 2011 are a cause for concern. The general sense of a rising incidence in serious crime is backed by official police data which fully reflects the lack of security felt by citizens -many of which, including elderly people, have fallen victims to it.

The most important result of the Greek debt haircut –the biggest ever debt restructuring in history- was neither its size nor the impressive reduction in the interest payments which the country will have to make annually.

Developments on the international scene in the last four years have shown how wrong were those who had rushed to deliver the obituary of nation states on account of globalization. That is not to say, of course, that globalization is not a reality. What better proof of this than Greece -a tiny corner on the planet which has threatened to blow the global economy sky-high.

The incomes and well-being of a large segment of this country’s citizens, including those who express their indignation at the harsh austerity measures, depends, directly or indirectly, on its heavy industry –tourism. This sector provides jobs to hundreds of thousands of our compatriots, since the Good God took ensured this country was endowed generously enough to attract millions of tourists annually. With the trouble and the instability in some of our Arab competitors, we should logically see a greater number of visitors this year.

Many Greek political and media centers were hostile to Lucas Papademos becoming prime minister right from the start. In fact, the leaders of the two main parties themselves, George Papandreou of PASOK and Antonis Samaras of New Democracy, tried to avoid him but reluctantly accepted him in the end.

Having accepted harsh terms from its creditors, having made unprecedented sacrifices by European standards and having adopted within two years changes that other countries of Europe took decades to institute, Greece can now proudly claim its rights.

Rising unemployment is the most serious threat to Europe at the moment. It hits the foundations of the European model of social cohesion, kindles racism, xenophobia and Euroskepticism, and tests the limits of our taxation, social insurance and welfare systems.