Populism, consensus and healthy patriotism

The condemnation of populism was one of the main conclusions of the recent conference on the 50-year anniversary of the "Metapolistefsi" (the period since the restoration of democracy) co-organized by Kathimerini. The issue came to the fore in the debate on foreign policy.

All three speakers - Dora Bakoyannis, Evangelos Venizelos and Nikos Kotzias, major names in foreign policy from across the political spectrum - pointed out the fundamental problems arising from irresponsible criticism and the creation of excessive expectations.

Even if one sees them as "activism" or an outlet for the "expression of popular sentiment" at a given historical moment, the cultivation of groundless expectations and promises of easy solutions to complex and intractable problems make situations that are already difficult to manage by their nature, even more so.

At the end of the day,...