Alexis Papachelas

Athens is waiting to see what Turkey will do with the proposed legislation on maritime zones it is reportedly drafting, while it also thinks a further ramping up of tension in the Aegean this summer is likely. The Turkish side is making all sorts of excuses for its current escalation, both in words and deeds. It claims, for example, that it had to respond to Greek moves like the deployment of a Patriot missile battery on the island of Karpathos.

It is genuinely alarming how populism can so easily unmake even politically mature countries. A classic example is the United Kingdom – a nation with deep history, strong institutions, tradition, and (supposedly) robust mechanisms for producing capable leaders.

Think about how dangerous it would be to go through a crisis with Turkey in the age of social media. How easily public opinion would “ignite” if some were given the opportunity to light the fuse. It happened in the 19th century through newspaper headlines, and in the 20th century during the Imia crisis, through private television stations.

A big problem in Greece is how much of it is in a “gray area.” Do I build on this plot or not? Is what I am going to do legal or not? These questions should normally have simple answers that are given at the touch of a button or even by an artificial intelligence platform.

Sometimes it's the little things that really tick you off. Every day I see the exact same issue on the streets and sidewalks of Athens' city center and suburbs: dangerous holes dug into the middle of streets and sidewalks, with no proper signage warning motorists and pedestrians. Most of these holes are the work of subcontractors working for utility companies to lay down new cables, fiber optic systems or pipes. The shoddy craftsmanship everywhere – the barbarity, in fact – and the gross negligence for the public's safety is absolutely infuriating. You see projects lying abandoned by work crews and others progressing in the middle of the rush hour. No one is checking if these work crews are up to scratch on safety, and citizens don't even know who they can complain to. It is also apparent that the companies taking on these projects are hiring from the very bottom of the pile in order to cut costs.

We all live in a bubble. We hang out with people who, in general, have the same opinions and habits as us. We are often astonished when we realize that “our world” is not the same as the world out there.

If I had to make a bet, I'd say Greece will be heading into elections by October. The preelection period has already begun. Ministers are acting like candidates, chasing votes and “tidying up.” Only a few are still talking about reforms, and fewer still want to get things done before we go to the polls.

When a previous mayor of Athens, a highly dignified man and politician, had expressed interest in becoming a party leader, we advised him in an editorial in this newspaper to “first collect the rubbish.” The reality of the capital today compels us to repeat the same message, this time addressed to the current mayor.

A deep, anti-systemic current is gathering momentum in the United States. This time around, it isn't flowing to the right, as was the case with Donald Trump's election, but to the left. The signs that something of this kind was brewing were certainly there, as the middle-class became increasingly squeezed by rising prices and lost confidence in the current president.

The asymmetry between what Greece is selling as a tourist product and the infrastructure it needs to be sustainable is striking. I won't get into whether there are destinations that are losing their soul at a rapid rate. Those of us who love the authentic Greek taverna on the seafront and the summer images of a fishing village in the Cyclades abhor the mass influx of tourists and the head waiter with the headset asking if “table 14B is ready.” But we can understand the argument that “this is what the customers who come now want,” and it will take a few years to see who is right – if this new model will stand the test of time and continue to attract those looking for something different in our country.