Nikos Konstandaras

In our turbulent time it is alarming that new parties are born and the political debate is held in an ideological framework which has no relation with the challenges that we must face. The symbols, signs, slogans and references to old movements and myths may provide a sense of continuity and hope for a return to simpler times, but this is like our dressing up as heroes of old to wage battle with current problems.

As if outdated ideological divisions were not enough, our politics are plagued also by frivolous behavior which rule out cooperation and make it more difficult to shape effective policies.

Alexis Tsipras is not the first former protagonist of our political scene who made a comeback, hoping to persuade citizens that this time around will be (even) better than the previous one.

With most left wing parties taking a “voluntary buyout” from the political struggle, and tying themselves to Alexis Tsipras' new wagon, our political system is becoming even more personality based. Only New Democracy and PASOK – and, in its own way, the Communist Party – remain engines of collective action.

A few months ago, alarms were raised by the debate around secondary education after a teacher died, unable to take the pressure of alleged bullying by students. Now, news that fewer university graduates are applying to work in public schools has heightened concerns.

Successive revelations and accusations of corruption against political and state officials, and the resignations of political appointees are weakening citizens' already weak faith in institutions, strengthening the current of anger that drives people away from political participation or toward supporting “anti-systemic” forces.

While humanity frets about the US-Israeli war with Iran, the American president keeps making conflicting declarations which muddy the picture. From the beginning of the conflict on February 28, Donald Trump has been declaring, or posting on his Truth Social, that Iran's military has been wiped out, that he will destroy Iran and its civilization, that the war has ended or is ending very soon.

It remains to be seen how long the US-Iran deal will last, as there are many who would like to disrupt it. Today, though, both sides are bragging that they won. This was to be expected, as Donald Trump is incapable of accepting defeat anywhere, and, of course, the United States maintain its power and intent to strike Iran whenever it judges it useful, for substantial reasons or for appearances.

Greece's participation in the EU's Aspides mission in the Red Sea, and the willingness that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed for the country to contribute to a mission in the Strait of Hormuz if it is requested – and provided it has the backing of the UN Security Council – underline how much the world has changed.

Ten years ago Monday, the British voted to break away from the European Union, taking a leap into the unknown. For Brexit's propagandists, this meant the country would “take back control”; it would save untold billions from the jaws of the Brussels monster, which would then be invested at home; it would develop rapidly, without obstacles, with the Commonwealth countries (former subjects of the British Empire) racing to make beneficial deals with Britain. This scenario did not pan out. Britain lost a significant portion of its GDP (some 8%) and grew more slowly than former partners in the EU (despite the common plagues of the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, wars in the Middle East and the Trump presidency).