A senseless war on institutions

By Nikos Konstandaras

The SYRIZA-led government has moved very quickly to put its stamp on every level of the state, and the recent attacks on central bank governor Yannis Stournaras are the latest front in what is turning into a war on several state institutions. Many of Greece?s deep-rooted problems, however, stem from the weakness of institutions, from their credibility being undermined by the meddling of governments and opposition parties. Declaring war on them rather than strengthening them is not the way to get Greece back on its feet.

Indeed, at a time of great uncertainty, with an inexperienced government at the wheel, only strong and credible institutions can hold things together until a deal is reached with our creditors. Again, if Greece finds itself at an economic impasse, well-functioning institutions are all that will stand between governance and chaos. It is imperative that SYRIZA understand that its most important asset is the maintenance of the country?s institutional framework. SYRIZA?s ministers may point out that Greece?s institutions are weak, that they share much of the blame for the current situation. This is valid, up to a point: If Greece?s Parliament, the judiciary, the news media and independent state authorities had shown greater vigilance and intervened more dynamically, the dysfunction of years may have been stopped before the point of no return was reached in 2009. Instead, with few exceptions, everyone took for granted that the good years would continue. The Bank of Greece was one exception, as were a few lone voices in politics and the news media, who insisted that reform was the only way to prevent collapse.

However, SYRIZA was among the opposition parties which kept pushing for greater spending ? and which...