The statement by President Christodoulides in Athens, that as Cyprus we have much to learn from Greece in matters of internal governance and that in these areas we utilize Greek expertise, raises questions and concerns.
If these words are not merely a formal compliment to the Greek Prime Minister or one of our President’s usual grandiose but meaningless statements, then both the “ceiling” of President Christodoulides’ vision is very low and his outlook for the country’s internal governance is discouraging. Indeed, we should be worried.
Without any intention of belittling Greece, we do not consider it, particularly in terms of internal governance, a model to admire or emulate. On the contrary, there are dozens of other countries from which we should seek to learn and apply both practices and expertise.
Internal governance in Greece is deeply flawed in nearly every sector and is not a “model” to copy but rather a model to avoid.
Its public health system is at Third World levels. Hospitals close or underperform, and citizens’ lives largely depend on whether they can afford the customary bribe. Its education system, especially higher education, is faltering. Its judiciary, manipulated and dependent on those in power, is demonstrably among the worst in Europe. Its police force is infiltrated by criminal elements. Crime is rampant, and lawlessness pervades every sector. Corruption, bribery, patronage, and kickbacks are systemic, and the country is continuously plagued by major socio-economic and political scandals. The misuse of European funds and grants is relentless, with the most recent example being the OPEKEPE scandal. Its public sector is continually decimated by the notorious “privatizations,” and the remaining services are paralyzed by bureaucracy, cronyism, and political favoritism. Tax evasion is rampant, inflation is rampant, and citizens are left to fend for themselves.
We genuinely wonder: which of all these things does our President “admire” and wish to emulate?
Not that we here don’t have many of these problems ourselves, but in no case are we in Greece’s miserable state.
If our President aims to improve our governance, one thing is certain: progress comes from following proven best practices rather than emulating failure.