On Friday afternoon, as the nation’s leadership prepared to assemble and mark the 52nd anniversary of the restoration of democracy, as heavy clouds stormed across Attica’s sky, I thought of a town hall meeting that I attended a few months ago. I felt joy at the breadth and depth of our democracy, hope in its dynamism, and unease about the possible dead-ends it may face.
The annual carping about the Presidential Palace reception’s loss of prestige is itself a sign of the event’s loss of stature, and also proof that our democracy allows absolute freedom of expression to everyone. This, of course, often highlights our political poverty, as when some parties (this year) have nothing to say other than to declare their self-anointed moral superiority by their highly theatrical abstention from the party. So much for our politics’ “main stage.” As for the “neighborhood democracy,” that’s where the heart of our political system beats. That is where the battle will be fought for greater political participation by citizens (as the percentage has been dropping rapidly). But that, too, is an area with ample reasons for disappointment.
Citizens must mobilize – who else will show an interest in the quality of their lives?
