Putting the right people in the right jobs

How can we make our politicians understand that certain jobs in the state apparatus should be protected against political interference and partisan games?

Let them appoint useless party cadres who like spending their time at the party offices (for lack of a more productive occupation) to inconsequential posts in the Greek state sector. However, by no means should these sorts of individuals be handed jobs at critical agencies and departments such as the civil protection authority or the security forces.

The once-dominant socialist PASOK was the first political party to start this cursed habit back in the 1980s. The country ended up paying a hefty price for it.

New Democracy conservatives went on to imitate the practice, by setting up party organizations that demanded to have a say over state sector appointments.

As a result, we came to a point where...