Αρχείο κατηγορίας MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH

PRE-ELECTION PROMISES –  FIREWORKS AND POLITICAL MATURITY

2019 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, Εφημερίδα

We are very close to the municipal elections (May 2019), the European parliamentary elections (also May 2019) and the Greek parliamentary elections (October 2019). Greek citizens will be able to evaluate past politician performances and decide on the best candidates. In law-abiding countries, integrity, political ethics and a merit-based approach in the elections have long been established, and the election process is quick and simple.  For those politicians who are presently in power and want to rerun in the next elections, the evaluation criteria should be based mainly on the work they produced during their term.  For the new candidates, the evaluation criteria should include the candidate’s objectivity, transparency and sound judgement , his/her engagement  in society at the local, national or European level, as well as his/her knowledge and skills in the management of complex projects.

Unfortunately, in our country, the evaluation criteria is often obscured by misleading and disorienting false information, such as the exaggeration of the work produced  and the skillful concealment of everything negative or inappropriate that was done during the term of politicians who wish to be reelected.  Even worse, during the pre-election period, the electorate is being inundated by pre-election promises – or “fireworks” –  false information lacking substance and credibility. This is usually done by the politicians in power. We are also inundated by inflated curricula vitae of the new aspiring candidates, which exaggerate their engagement in society as well as the administrative and leadership skills they have acquired through their professional or academic careers. The electorate should learn not to be so easily influenced, but to see through all this false information and evaluate the real qualifications of these candidates in an objective manner, whether they are already in political positions of power or whether they aspire to be. An informed electorate, which will base their voting decision on critical thinking, can help shape the new political scene and elect politicians who will strive for the common good and positive social results.

   To better illustrate the ideas presented above, we will refer to a 1989 characteristic pre-election promise – “firework” –  which misled and caused a lot of chagrin to thousands of Greek citizens.  In 1982 a new law in support of small businesses was passed, which promised to provide financial support (60% of the total estimated cost) to all new approved projects. This became a very strong incentive for many small businessmen, who rushed to submit all necessary documents and apply for subsidy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. However, these businessmen did not know something very important:  the annual subsibies would be extremely limited. For years, many such proposals for small investment projects were submitted, but all the businessmen ever received was an official document approving the project, but no actual subsidy! This “firework” was exposed after the elections, when 4/5 of the proposed projects did not get any subsidy , while the remaining 1/5 of the projects were financed with a much smaller amount that the one that had been promised! We believe that many of the present new pre-election approvals of big projects that we often hear about are also of the “firework” type: for the most part there are no real subsidies, but even if there is financing, there is not enough time left between now and the elections to even prepare the feasibility studies and tender out the contracts!

Of course, political maturity is not something that is being inherited; it is a complex  process that is acquired through education and life experience. It should be added that political maturity can be learned mainly through the long-standing and smooth-functioning social institutions. When these institutions are characterised by integrity, they create the right political climate that educates the citizens. In our country, the prolonged economic crisis has proven the defective functioning of the fundamental social institutions, a fact that leads us to self-reflection about our own role in the crisis and also to a common conscientious undertaking in order to avoid new lending and making the same errors of the past. Unfortunately, the information overload, a result of the media omnipresence, is not an asset, particularly during pre-election periods. The information overload forces the average citizen to filter through all this data, and to use critical thinking, so that he/she can distinguish between the essence and the “firework” pre-election promises. The election of the right politicians during the municipal and parliamentary (both Greek and European) elections is the single most important factor for overcoming the economic crisis. Emerging from the present financial crisis does not happen through slogans and political statements, but through an honest, effective, collaborative and cohesive management of our public affairs by the politicians and the political parties that we ourselves will elect.

DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT AND SMALL-MINDED MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES

2019 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΦΥΛΛΟ ΠΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΦΟΡΕΙ, εφημερίδα

Our country has been a member of the European Union for 35 years and of the Eurozone for almost 20. As such, it participates in the planning of common policies and in the shaping of the institutions that will promote these policies. One of these common European Union policies is the formation of an additional decentralised decision-making level of municipal government, on the regional level, which in our country came into effect in 2010. Problems related to the implementation of this policy surfaced even before it became law, as politicians could not agree on the population and the geographical size of the regions that were about  to be established. Instead of following the corresponding European standards (formation of a small number of socially homogeneous areas with common characteristics), the needs of special interest groups prevailed and in Greece we ended up with 13 regional governments (περιφερειακές αυτοδιοικήσεις). Τhe best example of the irrationality of this kind of planning is what happened in our region: the Peloponnese was cut into two areas and so that the geographical size of the smaller area was increased, it was given a part of Continental Greece. As a result, right from the beginning, the demarcation of the Regional Government of the Peloponnese was saddled with problems which negatively influenced the undertaking of any far-reaching development programmes. This unfortunate demarcation could possibly have been counter-balanced by the effective management of our elected regional politicians. However, a careful examination of the development initiatives during the last eight years demonstrates that this definitely was not the case.

   Slowly but steadily, from 2010 onwards, the management of the regional operational programmes (which until then were run by central state authorities) was transferred to the new regional government politicians, a process which was completed within two years. Thus the regional governments (περιφερειακές αυτοδιοικήσεις) took over the agencies/services of civil works, which were previously organized by departmental governments (νομαρχιακές αυτοδιοικήσεις).  It stands to reason that the regional governments should have been able to run these already undertaken programmes more efficiently, since they could have watched the progress of the works more closely. They could also have watched the progress of the civil works and other initiatives implemented by the 2006-2013 Community Support Framework closely and also planned and promoted the initiatives of the new Community Support Framework for the period 2014-2020. Democratic planning is a principle that was established in our country  in 1986, and which unfortunately was again not followed in this case, because small-minded and special interest politics prevailed. Regional government politicians should have collaborated closely with the municipal politicians, so that common development policies and policies for determining the necessary public works could have been drafted. In this way, a common line could have been agreed upon for both the overseeing of already undertaken works and the materialisation of the newly proposed projects. The small number of local government institutions following the implementation of “Callicrates” (policy for merging of municipalities) would have facilitated direct consultations, integrated application of programming, and common plan of action. Unfortunately, we have not seen any such initiatives and actions in the documentation that we examined. What our regional politicians chose to do instead was to draft their own development planning, and decide by themselves which new public works were necessary. In other words, all planning and implementation of public works was exclusively decided by the regional government authorities (περιφερειακές αυτοδιοικήσεις).

    The 2014-2020 Regional Operational Programme has allotted 250.000.000 € to the Peloponnese, out of which 40% had to be spent on public works. This sum is in addition to the significant public investment programme funds that have been transferred from the central government to the regional government so that local public works can be materialised. If these two sources of funding were to be used effectively, this could considerably improve the infrastructure in Peloponnese. Since it is a fact that tourism in Mani is the main source of income for a very large group of the local population, it is obvious that the public sector and the regional government need to promote tourism infrastructure such as roads, ports and squares that make access easier to landscape assets and cultural heritage sites and thus help bring more tourists to our area. These tourists will patron private businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and places of entertainment. Such initiatives are very scarce and are unfairly and disproportionally allotted to certain local areas. Our local politicians prefer to promote tourism through various activities in national and international presentations and campaigns. These campaigns and the travel expenses of those participating in them have absorbed a high percentage of the funds allocated to our area. Tourism promotion is necessary, however, it needs to be done in a cost-efficient manner, and most importantly, it needs to always showcase the latest tourism infrastructure which has been completed. 

   In conclusion:  the regional development should always start with a sound knowledge of the area and democratic planning for a fair distribution of the proposed public works; it should end with the most efficient management of all available funds. Since we are in a pre-election period, we wish that the politicians who will be soon elected will follow the ideas presented in this article, so that we, the citizens of Mani, can finally see the regional operational programmes run efficiently and the funds allotted to our area used in the best possible way.

MANI BEFORE THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, εφημερίδα, Εφημερίδα

 

As the municipal election gets closer, citizens worry about what will happen afterwards. The financial crisis has resulted in reduced state funding, and consequently the discrepancy between the needs of our area and the fullfilment of these needs is getting larger. It stands to reason that the bigger the reduction of the funds, the more we need competent financial managers. Competent managers, however, are not enough. We also need a common understanding and correct prioritisation of needs, something that is not so easy to achieve after a long election campaign, intense political debates and promises to the electorate. For these reasons, the fewer combinations in the elections, the easier the pre-election consensus will be. According to the newly  endorsed election law, those who run for local representatives will run independently of the combination of the mayor or his/her opponents. The fewer combinations there are, the easier it will be for all local politicians to reach a common understanding  and undertake a common course of action after the elections.

 

   The worry about what will happen after the municipal elections is of course generalised, but even greater in Mani, because of two reasons:

 

  1. a) Mani’s population is small; in theory it reaches 20.000 people in both municipalities of Eastern and Western Mani, but in reality is less than 10.000 people. We should also remember that in this number of 10.000 people is included a high number of foreigners. The population drastically increases during the summer months, when we welcome many visitors.

 

  1. b) the geographical area of the municipalities of Eastern and Western Mani is large and has a large number of sparsely populated municipalities.

 

   These characteristics of our region mean that the management of Mani is not easy. We propose the use of a joint list of candidates in the local elections for both mayor and local representative.

 

 

   The use of a joint list of candidates instead of two separate ballots, [i.e., one for the mayor and another one for the local representative (τοπικός εκπρόσωπος for municipalities with population less than 300 people)],  will help the electorate choose the most competent and most honest political candidates, without the problems associated with two separate ballots. In this way, there will be a common understanding  regarding the prioritisation of public works during the post-election period ; it will also lead to a common understanding about claiming the fair share of funds from both the region (περιφέρεια) and the state. A consensus in the presentation of the needs of our area and in the coordination in the claims of the fair share of funds will finally help achieve a higher funding from these two sources, state and region (περιφέρεια).

 

The big difference in the number of people who live in Mani during the winter and during the summer means that our area needs specific public works that will increase the quality of the holidays of our visitors.  These works will help bring even more visitors to Mani, and as a result more prosperity and more jobs to our area. The funds that have been alotted so far to the municipalities of Eastern and Western Mani are not enough to cover the expenses for this kind of infrastructure. The necessary increase in funds can only happen through unity, careful planning and effective presentation of the needs  to the responsible entities and those who govern them.  If these claims are put forward by local politicians who have a common understanding and a common goal, the results will be favourable.

 

   Maniot egotism, although often altruistic, negatively affects the local politicians’ willingness to serve, and it constitutes the main obstacle in the development of a common understanding. In the history of our region there are examples of this kind of conduct, which could be attributed to the influence of our region’s environment and climate on our genes. However, in our history we also have examples of consensus and unity, which were achieved in dire times, when the freedom and economic self-sufficiency of the Maniots were in danger.  We believe that it is essential for our area to become financially self-sufficient. Immediate goals can be an increase in the number of visitors to Mani and in the employability of our people, which will assure a better future for the next generation. To reach these goals, local politicians need to put aside their egotism and to develop a common understanding. Using a joint list of candidates for both mayor and local representatives would really help reach this common understanding and elect the best candidates as our local politicians.

 

                                                                                                                                                THE EDITORIAL BOARD

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BEFORE THE MAY ELECTIONS

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΦΥΛΛΟ ΠΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΦΟΡΕΙ, Εφημερίδα

In democracies, leaders are elected for a single term. The current term of office for area and regional government politicians ends in May 2016. During the next six months, the electorate can take stock of what the local politicians have achieved during their term of office and evaluate their performance. The electorate can review and assess whether these politicians successfully promoted and completed programs addressing the needs of their municipality or region. The review of the implemented programs should be the main criterion of whether or not the electorate will allow them to stay in office for another term. This is what is required in democratic governments and this is how citizens in democratic states evaluate their politicians. After careful evaluation, citizens should choose the right candidates. Those candidates who do not yet have experience in local governance should be judged by their commitment to democratic ideals, their conscientiousness and most of all, their diligence and efficacity during the previous stages of their life.

   Citizens need  to be lenient when evaluating the current politicians of small municipalities, because the financial crisis has resulted in major cuts in funding. It would be more fair to judge them principally on whether they were efficient in repairing the existing infrastucture, and on whether they successfully sought out development projects for their jurisdiction from the superior levels of government (Administrative Districts, Ministries, European institutions). They should also be judged on whether they contributed to the overall enhancement of the quality of life in their region and on whether citizens obtained appropriate service from the municipal public services.

Although the financial crisis also negatively affected the subsidies given to Administrative Districts (περιφέρειες), these politicians should not be judged with the same leniency, as the ones of the previous paragraph. Administrative District politicians have the power to manage themselves the funds of the regional programs, which are co-subsidised by the EU. This means that they can decide themselves which public works will be receiving the allotted regional funds, which are separate for each Administrative District. Since 2010, when the Administrative Districts absorbed several prefeture agencies, Administrative District politicians not only have the power to determine for themselves the feasibility of various financial/technical studies, but also to implement, carry out and supervise the corresponding projects themselves. The electorate should assess and evaluate the work of each Head of an Administrative District (περιφερειάρχης) and his/her task force, based on whether the drafting, contracting, implementing and completion of various projects were satisfactory and cost-efficient. This holds particularly true for the public investment projects necessary for the economic development of each region, since businessmen and investors need the necessary technical infrastructure before they can successfully invest in private projects.

Effective management of engineering or public works means:

  1. a) fair distribution of public works between the perfectures (περιφερειακές ενότητες or νομοί, as they were previously called) of each Administrative District and then fair distribution between the smaller municipalities, based on criteria such as geographical size, population, inhabited area and growth rate
  2. b) thorough financial and technical studies addressing real needs, invoices corresponding to the fair value of the engineering works, transparent conditions of bidding, contracting, carrying out and completing the work
  3. c) strict supervision and detailed evaluation of the finished work, without recapitulative statements and without setting out new prices for “extras”, additional works that were not foreseen in the initial contract
  4. d) detailed strict conditions for guaranteeing the good quality of the engineering of intended public works, with work thoroughly and regularly inspected during construction, but also thorough check after completion.

 

Unfortunately, the average citizen does not have access to the data regarding the total infrastructure projects that each Administrative District has proposed or completed. However, citizens instinctively have a fairly good idea of the work that has been put out by each district. They know if their needs will be met by the works that are under way, and they can roughly assess the quality and quantity of the proposed public works. This “instinctive” assessment and evaluation by the average citizen can become more accurate, if the electorate compares the pre-election promises with the work produced by each Administrative District during the current term, even in the absence of specific measurements. Those citizens who are tech savvy can check on the internet the site Διαύγεια (Transparency) of each Administrative District. To improve awareness among our readership, in the next few issues of our newspaper “MANIOT SOLIDARITY” we will be presenting data referring to pre-election promises and the uncomfortable reality regarding the progress of the undertaken public works in our area, Mani.

DO WE NEED A CHANGE IN GOVERNANCE?

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH

“Governance” is the established manner in which authority wields power. In the public domain, the manner of governance affects all sectors, and defines practices which start from the top of the hierarchy pyramid and reach all lower levels. This applies not only to the ministries and their services, but also to all public entities, all state enterprises and their counterparties and contractors. The way of governance, which has been practised in the last 40 years in our country, is the main reason for the inefficiency of our state. This happens because the concept of healthy competition is entirely absent in the production and procurement of tangible and intangible assets! The result of this type of governance is enormous cost, which is very difficult to balance in a sound manner. The authorities have tried to deal with financial discrepancies through borrowing, however, excessive borrowing always leads to over-indebtedness. The Greek way of governance of the last few decades has created many unfufilled needs, even basic ones, while modernisation and keeping up with the development in other countries remains an impossible, poorly pursued dream.

It is certain that the root of the problem of inefficient governance goes back to the years of the Turkish occupation. At that time, the state was an autocratic ruler, resulting in great insecurity for the subjugated Greeks. Small-scale governances on the part of the subjugated people (family, local-societal, religious governance) were aimed at personal gain and security, and only very rarely at the common good. These practices of narrow advantage for individuals or small groups only were transferred to the governance at all levels of the modern Greek state and they continue to exist today… The correct way of governance, the pursuit of the common good, was first applied by Ioannis Capodistrias, our first Governor. Many citizens benefitted from the sound governance of this great leader, however, this style of management was discontinued after his death. The special interest powerful groups, who had every reason to return to the pre-Capodistrian style of governance, were overjoyed. Due to the financial difficulties of the last few years, more and more Greeks have now reached the conclusion that this selfish manner of governance is the main cause for the toppling of financial balances at both levels, state and personal.

Consolidated mentalities change at very slow rates, however, as Greek citizens continue to reflect on the economic crisis and the negativities associated with this selfish manner of governance, there is optimism that maybe this style of administration can drastically change. A different style of governance, one that aims for the common good, will increase productivity and bring healthy competition among contractors for the procurement of goods, services and public works. The gains will be so great, that they will warrant a drastic change in the current mentality.

   In democracies there is a correlation between the mentality of the electorate and the elected politicians. It seems that citizens’ mentality is slowly changing and it will influence the next election. Consolidation of the new mentality could become the main push for the modernisation and the economic development of our country. For a certain period, the old and new mentality will coexist in conflict with each other. Whether the new common good mentality prevails or not, will depend on our politicians during this transitional period. If these politicians have strong administrative capacities and a sound modernisation vision, then the rate of change will be rapid, and positive resuslts will soon be observed. Otherwise, we will see once more what we have already witnessed so many times in the past: after a period of crisis, the long-standing mentality of governance will return and will lead the country and its citizens to a new path of destruction.

The general observations of the manner of governance described in the paragraphs above also apply to administration at the municipal level, and of course to our area, Mani. At the municipal level, however, it is much easier for citizens to observe the negative results caused by the old selfish mentality of governance, because citizens have a direct overview of the local government’s actions and results. Of course, there have been a few exceptions at the local level, with positive results and modernisation initiatives, but much more needs to be done. The need for drastic change in the manner of governance is particularly pressing in Mani, a region with limited financial resources, but also with great growth potential.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES IN SEARCH OF IDEALS

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, εφημερίδα

Financial data show that since the end of WW2, the living standard of people around the world has greatly risen. Societal polls, however, show that during the same period, there has been a deterioration in the cohesion and in the solidarity among different social groups as well as in establishing future goals that are broadly accepted. These observations remind us of the golden rule: what is gained in quantity, is lost in quality. This general concern leads some socially sensitive individuals and groups to search for ideas which will interconnect the poll results mentioned above. This search for new ideas is developed in contrast to the increasing trend for introversion of many nations and their elected governments.

As a starting point of our reflection, we require the answers to the following question: what life choices does an individual make, after he/she has satisfied his/her needs for food, shelter and clothing? The answers by the citizens of a country to this question lead to the general trends of communities and governments in democratic societies. The two most common answers to the question at the beginning of this paragraph are the following: a) constant accumulation of goods on a personal or on a family level and b) cooperation among the members of society at large, leading to production and sharing of material and immaterial assets of general usefulness to society. Option (b) is obviously the better one, and the one we are proposing in this editorial.

    The ideals of each state express long-term national hopes which have been formulated by historical or geographical data combined with the dynamics of that particular society. They are also connected with key ideological choices, based on religious, cultural or political considerations. It is during times when these conditions coexist that people mobilise in order to manifest them. Whether these ideals are achieved or not depends on the cooperation among the members of a particular society and it requires that these people put the common good above their personal interests. The bigger the cohesion within a particular society and the greater the cooperation of its members, the shorter will be the road towards actualisation of these ideals.

Introversion within a particular society (see paragraph 1 above), leads to governments with isolational and aggressive policies towards other nations, increasing conflicts and distancing from cooperation and solidarity goals. Isolationism and aggression invariably lead to clashes and violent confrontations, as it has been proven many times in history. However, there is a much better alternative: the search for ideals (see previous paragraph) which are in harmony with the contemporary development of humankind, such as the principles of some transnational organisations, i.e., the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, the UNESCO, the European Community and other related institutions), which were formed as a response to the catastrophy brought upon the world by WW2. These principles can be further developed, so that they correspond more precisely to today’s realities. During the many decades since the foundation of these transnational institutions, we have seen some inefficiencies, but also many effective interventions and resolutions of crises at times of conflict and violence. There is enough data basis, so that these organisations can become even more efficient institutions. For the new effective course of action of the transnational organisations, individual governments need to have a common understanding for cooperation and solidarity within the global village. This common understanding is based on the value system of the citizens who elect their governments in a democratic fashion. In this way, the ideals that were established by individual state governments at the end of WW2, can be redefined, modernised and updated so that they correspond to today’s realities.

    These broadly-accepted ideals and their general principles allow enough leeway for defining individual national ideals, which, however, should be based on peace and international cooperation. They also allow room for defining more specific common goals and targets within the societies of each nation. In Mani, we too can define similar ideals, updated and in harmony with today’s realities, but also based on the principles that our heroic ancestors have left us.

THE LOW PRODUCTIVITY OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH

Reliable assessments by competent authorities show that our country ranks among the lowest in Europe in public sector productivity. According to the same reliable sources, Greece still has more civil servants per capita than any other EEC country. The above results, confirmed by personal experience, prove that services provided to Greek citizens are inferior to the ones provided to citizens of other EEC countries. These findings should alarm the governing party, particularly since low productivity is one of the reasons for the lenghty financial crisis that our country is experiencing. We should also add that any cuts in the number of the civil servants that has happened so far, happened only after strong pressure by a series of Memoranda of Understanding, which were forced on us by our foreign lenders! The way to avoid the disastrous consequences  that were brought by the above-mentioned low productivity is to retrain the civil servants and to pay them according to their improved productivity. However, it seems that the government is moving in the opposite direction!

   A close look at the reasons for the high number of employees in the civil service and their poor productivity, brings us to the narrow-minded personal gain policies of our politicians. Politicians govern according to their desire to increase their electoral base and get re-elected. The obligations that they must undertake upon being elected towards everyone for the common good of all citizens, becomes a secondary issue for them. According to research, these realities vary slightly between different governments, however, in all governments there has been a big gap between pre-election promises and their deliverance.

The following three points confirm what we stated above:

  1. Let us look at article 101 of the Greek Constitution. Paragraph 1: The administration of the State shall be organized according to the principle of decentralisation. Paragraph 3: Regional State officers shall have general decisive authority on matters of their district, while the central services shall have, in addition to special powers, the general guidance, coordination and supervision of the regional officers, as specified by law.

How does article 101 correspond to reality? The state has created nine (9) decentralised Geographical Departments and has given them limited jurisdiction. It has also assigned limited decentralised powers to the thirteen (13) Regions and municipalities, without, however, having also allocated the necessary funds. In this way, the state is able to have direct control over the regions. It also has direct or indirect control of all regional appointments!

  1. The Regions, which are in essence decentralised structures with limited powers, without direct financing and with responsibilities that coexist or get intertwined with those of the respective Minstries, end up dealing with issues that should be dealt with by the state. We see regional politicians trying to impress their audiences with verbose statements on issues which do not even fall under their area of responsibilitiy! This shifting of responsibility diminishes the powers of the regional officers and eventually leads to a lower standard of living for the people who elected the regional officers. A good example of this shift is the pre-occupation of the present President of the Peloponnese Region with discovering deposits of oil in sub-sea terrains, which definitely does not fall under his area of responsibility. Yet, the President ignores the issue of provincial roads, which need repairs and improvements, an issue which falls exclusively under his responsibility. Provincial roads need to be updated to today’s standards, and the President could utilise the manpower and resources available to him to improve these roads and make them safe, thus helping the regional tourist development and averting road accidents.
  2. The municipalities of our country, and in particular the rural ones, have inherited manpower that could be retrained in order to cover at least the administrative needs. However, the municipal politicians have done nothing to retrain their staff, or help improve their productivity. Also, they have done nothing to establish or improve technical services, as needed. They do, however, hire staff on temporary contracts, who in turn will help them get re-elected in the next election.

Let us not forget that the memoranda which were financing the needs of our country have come to an end. Now we are led to a new era, where we will have to find lenders ourselves. We are now faced with a painful dilemma: we either increase the productivity of our economy, particularly in the public sector, or the new high-interest rates on our foreign loans will lead us to a new bankruptcy…

CITIZEN MOBILISATION – THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, εφημερίδα

Opinion poll results published recently are disappointing, because they show that more than 1/3 of the Greek citizens are disengaged from politics! Even worse, a big part of the remaining population has a negative opinion of those involved in politics! It is true that all of us, some more and some less, have seen our incomes shrink during the past ten years of the crisis, however, income reduction alone cannot bring the necessary changes and economic recovery. We need to act, so that we can bring about a new model of governance. A way out of the financial crisis and sovereignty of the people can only be achieved if citizens are actively engaged in the political life of the country.

It is understandable that at the beginning of the crisis Greek citizens disengaged from political life, because then their priority was to deal immediately with their new needs, personal, family and otherwise, due to the harsh new financial measures that were imposed. It is certain that for the Greek economy to rebound, we need a new model of political governance, one which will be put forward by those well-informed citizens who understand the real causes of the financial crisis. As we analyse the situation, we tend to conclude that the main cause of the crisis is the fact that in the past, both politicians and citizens, focused on their own narrow personal interests. The electorate voted for politicians who they throught could promote their own personal, family or sectional interests.

The starting point for the mobilisation of the citizens and their joint action towards implementing a new form of political governance has to be the firm commitment to our institutional texts. The Constitution and the imprelementation of its institutional rules are the basis on which we must build a new model of political governance, without the weaknesses of the past political system. In order for the institutional rules to be implemented correctly, we need to differentiate between the three sorts of power: legislative, executive and judiciary. This traditional threefold division of power should not be circumvented due to vague laws. However, what happens in practice is that the common legislator (i.e. the executive power) weakens this division of power, by submitting to the Parliament bills and passing them, because they hold the majority of seats. This affects the democratic functioning of the state and has many negative consequences, such as the present economic crisis. We should reflect on whether the weakening of the powers of the President of the democracy has contributed to the economic crisis. This amendment occurred in 1985 , after revision of the relevant Constitution passage of 1975, and in effect it changed our form of government from presidential democracy to giving absolute power to the prime-minister. Therefore, we no longer have a safeguard to government arbitrariness, and this can lead the country to impasses, such as the long-term economic crisis, which we are presently experiencing.

The lack of credibility of the Greek model of political governance, which is reflected in the opinion polls, and the resulting disengagement of the citizens from the political life of their country are closely related to the many promises given by various political parties. These promises can never be kept due to the present poor financial situation of Greece. Politicians need to have principles, to think very carefully before they give promises and to follow a personal “self-cleansing” process. Once all these are put in place, solid institutional commitments between politicians and citizens can be implemented, as they have been clearly defined in the 1975 Constitution. The effective application of the institutional rules means that all vague laws which favour politicians or specific groups of people, but not society as a whole, need to be discarded. It is through this kind of favouritist laws that public finances are burdened, resulting in heavy taxation of the Greek citizens, who have been suffering for a long time now from high taxation.

We are in an important pre-election period. Within the year 2019 we will have three elections: elections to the Greek Parliament, elections to the European Parliament and municipal elections. We will have the chance to reflect and vote strategically, so that we will elect a truly democratic government. The votes of conscious citizens are those which can build the solid social and financial frame of the next decade. If we continue to focus on narrow personal interests and vote in a selfish way, it is possible that the ensuing ills will be worse than the ones we are presently experiencing. If, however, we mobilise, we act jointly and we vote for the common good, we will not again experience the ills of the present decade. The future of our country is in the hands of its conscious electorate.

ECONOMIC CRISES ARE CAUSED BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR’S MANAGEMENT MINDSET

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΦΥΛΛΟ ΠΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΦΟΡΕΙ

 

   The term “mindset” describes a generalised way of thinking. The term “generalised” refers to both the affairs that are of interest to certain individuals as well as to all individuals who have the same way of thinking. Αctually, the term prevailing mindset would be more accurate. We believe that the current mindset of corruption in managing the affairs of the public sector is at the root of the long financial crisis of our country. It is still not certain how much longer the crisis will last and when it will finally end, however, a shift in the current mentality could help find an effective solution for the prolonged crisis. Although changes to attitudes do not happen overnight, they can be the beginning of an optimistic development and eventually bring much-needed positive results.

The generalised mindset described above characterises the whole public sector, the central administration, the legal entities and the other public interest entities. There are of course some exceptions, but because of their small number, they cannot offset the general trend. The way that the budgets of ministries, public institutions and bodies are run confirms the prevailing mindset that we referred to in the previous paragraph. A careful examination of the budget of any public agency or body and the authorisation of expenditures shows their usefulness or otherwise to the common good.

   In order to evaluate the allocation of the funds of a budget, we need first to examine the relation between a) the operational and consumer spending and b) the investment expenditures. This relation is of course influenced by the statutory powers and responsibilities of each administrative body. In most instances, the investment expenditures are much lower than the operational ones, and they are allocated according to non-transparent criteria, since they are not set by a democratic planning and do not correspond to political commitments. This trend is particularly prominent in recent years, to the point that instead of investment, we see divestiture, since hardly any funds are allocated for the maintenance of the existing assets, logistics and infrastructure.

The lack of equitable planning leads to allocation of limited investment expenditures with criteria governed by political ends and micropolitics, and serving certain target groups of citizens or certain preselectioned areas. This constitutes one more distortion, since the economic resources are not spent efficiently, the needs of the general public are not met and quality of life is not improved.

The operational and consumer expenses are allocated in such a way that it leads to overdevelopment of the public sector and the increase in the number of businesses and suppliers depending on it. This results in decreased productivity of government bodies and state institutions, and thus the prevailing mindset of the administrators is perpetuated. This has a negative impact on the tax paying citizens whose everyday needs are not met by the services provided by the state.

   This prevailing mindset on the part of state administrators has plagued Greece since independence. The newly-liberated Greeks were not able to understand and accept the rational governing of Ioannis Kapodistrias, who had been elected by the National Assembly as the first Governor. It is worth noting that Kapodistrias donated the bigger part of his personal assets to the Greek National Treasury. In the few years that he governed, he established the rule of law and the foundations of sound administration. His vision included the common good of all citizens and the expansion of the Greek state to the north, from Arta on the west to Pagasitikos Bay on the east (these expansion plans were later abandoned). The prevailing corrupt mentality and policies had  already been established during the years of Turkish occupation in order to benefit those powerful groups who were involved in the central administration. This culture continued until the Greek independence and was followed by four bankruptcies, one of which lasted for almost a hundred years, until the end of the previous century!  It also led to high taxation, so that state loans could be paid back.

The general thoughts presented above, and in particular the imperative need for a mindset shift, should definitely be taken seriously by the public administrators of our area.

PELOPONNESE DEVELOPMENT CONGRESS:  GLOOMY OUTLOOK FOR MANI

2018 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, Εφημερίδα

The Development Congress of the Peloponnese Administrative Region took place in Tripoli in February 2018. It was the 10th of thirteen (13) congresses that are supposed to take place in the capital of each Greek administrative region. These congresses are organised by the Ministry of Development and Finance together with each region. According to the government, the goal of these congresses is the in-depth investigation of the production capacity of each region and  the drafting of a coherent implementation plan for economic reconstruction. This was supposed to happen through consultation during the work of the Congress, resulting in establishing a road map of procedures according to the priorities set out in the “National Development Strategy 2021” and the initiatives that have already been planned or developed, thus marking the transition from the economic crisis to the equitable development for the region.

The generalities of targets and goals, as described above, have probably been set vague on purpose, so that personal interests are promoted through unclear statements and development congresses. During the three days of the Congress in Tripoli, the vague speeches of the ministers and the pretentious public statements made at press conferences by central and local government politicians did not lead to any conclusions and were definitely not conducive to triggering a process of regional development. The speeches of the local politicians, shortened to fit the timelines of the Congress, did not contribute anything essential to the Congress, as they were supposed to do. There was also no provision for statements of case or pleadings to be submitted. Two months after the conclusion of the Congress and the ensuing discussions, recommendations and suggestions, there has been no progress.

   In order to achieve a proportionate and equitable development among all Greek administrative regions, the development budget needs to be divided equitably. Based on fixed data, such as the population, the area and the number of dwellings, which have been determined by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, stable allocation guidelines of the available resources could be established. Realistic projections of the central and the regional budget could be established and communicated to the relevant organisations and agencies, for further action. If this procedure were to be followed, allocation of funds would be a lot more efficient and political/personal gains would be reduced.

   Once more, our region was left by the wayside by the Peloponnese Region Development Congress. Mani’s needs, even after the considerable tourist development of the last decades, once more were not taken into account. As a matter of fact, not even one of the proposed projects or procedures addressed our area! It seems that being ignored by the state and by the regional public investment programs has become business as usual. A quick glance at the official data provided by the Hellenic Statistical Authority proves this injustice. If the allocation of the development funds were done in a fair way, i.e. taking into account the population, the area and  the number of dwellings, Mani (Eastern and Western) should receive 4,4% of the total regional public investment funds for the Peloponnese  (we arrived at the 4,4% percentage by taking into account the following data: a) total population of the Peloponnese 577.903 inhabitants and of Mani 19.950 inhabitants, b) total number of dwellings of the Peloponnese 411.462, and of Mani 22.692 and c) total area of the Peloponnese 21.550 km2 and of Mani 913,3 km2). It is obvious to anyone who has even a passing familiarity with Mani and its villages, that for many decades the investment funds allocated to our area do not even amount to 1/3 of the 4,4% that our area is entited to according to an equitable distribution of the development resources.

The recent Peloponnese Development Congress is tangible proof of the long-term negative attitude of politicians towards Mani. It is now left up to Maniots and philo-Maniots, who care about our area’s development, to carefully evaluate the above data and take action accordingly. We would like to stress once more, that injustices of this kind are not to be dealt by using with personal gain politics, but with common rallying and organisation of the considerable Mani human resources.