Editorial: A policy of small steps or of leaps of progress?

For the objective observer the government's first acquaintance with Greek realities offers certain signals of managerial competence and of an immediate reaction to the unforeseeable events of the current period.

There are certainly industrious ministers and government cadres who resolve current problems with competence and the requisite speed.

Yet, one saw phenomena of imbecility as with the island of Samothrace and with communications excesses by certain unprepared cadres who hastened to describe routine administrative actions as major accomplishments.

One may say that we are still amidst the earliest phase of the new government which is characterised by small steps and low-altitude flight policies from which one cannot draw secure conclusions regarding its future path and performance.

Only when we enter the phase of hard politics in handling the country's great issues and problems shall we see if the government can produce the preconditions for the promised definitive exit from the crisis and for an economic take-off.

The first crucial step will be the draft legislation on investment that will enter public consultation in the coming days.
The next step is the bill on tax measures and incentives at the beginning of September.

The fate of the new government will be judged by the boldness, clarity, and aims of new draft legislation and by its confirmation of the "alternate plan" for which the Greek people opted in the 7 July general election by voting for New Democracy.

The planned trips abroad of the new prime minister to Paris, The Hague, Berlin, and later to the US will demonstrate the persuasive capabilities and trust that the new PM can convey to a doubtful and suspicious world.

Essentially, we are still at...