Technocracy

What is the public role of expertise in Greece? When should governments listen to them? No one expects a modern society to emulate Plato's Republic, but the question goes to the very heart of a widespread institutional problem and one that undoubtedly holds the country back.

Through the years of the crisis, it has been proven that overtaxation and foolishly high rates of social security contributions lead to the legitimization and the growth of the black market.

Rather than solving the problem of tax evasion, it is making it even worse as there are entire professions that have realized they cannot survive within the system.

Can party leaders reach out to voters across a broad social spectrum if their rhetoric is bare of emotional high notes, some psychological manipulation and plenty of tugging at the heartstrings? When they come across as rational, structured, clean-cut - but also possibly a bit dry?

The Croatian government, a diverse coalition with a non-party technocrat prime minister, is struggling to function properly, with parties tussling for power and threatening early elections.

Consultations over a new Romanian prime minister are to be concluded this week, as analysts and officials predicted that a technocratic cabinet could be put in place until the next elections are held in December 2016.

The technical group of "institutions" will not stay in Greece for much longer as government officials are perturbed by their behavior and demands. The cherry on the cake came when the technocrats urged the government to withdraw the legislations for the humanitarian crisis and the plan for debt settlement in 100 installments.

Mario Monti, the economist who served as prime minister of Italy during the country?s financial crisis, said the time for the Greek government to ?play games? was running out.