Elections in Greece this week-end. So, what else is new?

Parliamentary elections were held in Greece, on Sunday, 6th May 2012. They were also held in France -- but there, the results indicate, indeed, a change.
Back to Greece. Among a lot of hooh-hah of justly disappointed voters, disillusioned with their politicians' inefficiency, incapacity, and rampant incompetency to deal with the country's pressing issues, the results in the polls was, ultimately, nothing...

Nothing happened.

Abstinence was the winner with 40%. For the remainder, there was a reshuffle to the detriment of the two leading parties, Nea Dimokratia and the Socialist Pasok -- although the former is still the minority leader. People did their best to demonstrate their disgust with the two leading parties, voting for whatever was left.

However, for all the voters' efforts in Greece's May 2012 elections, it is still the same pack of incompetent, self-righteous and self-centred personsvying for popular attention who will enter Greece's famed & historically named Boule come their first working day. (Whenever that may be, work not being Greece's politicians' forte.)

An example of Henry Ford's car colouring scheme: "you are free to choose whatever colour you like as long as it's black". Greece's voters had some colours available -- but, bar a few exceptions, it is the colours of yore. So Greek voters -- those who actually did vote -- opted for the left-over parties, mostly of the left wing.

And "left" picked up, a "left wing" party came in 2nd, for the first time.

The left wing parties in Greece have always sounded like thwarted adolescents, defining themselves by negation and fairy-tales rather than proposing anything concrete. Like many adolescents, they sound like they are looking for their place and calling in this life -- but, unlike most adolescents, the still haven't found their calling, many decades down the line.
Indeed, the charming leader the best performing party, SYRIZA, named Tsipras has the added advantage of looking like an adolescent as well as sounding like one!

There may, however, be hope for this country, beset by corruption and Soviet-ism, both: there is a small movement of concerned persons, non politicians, who may save the day. These are small parties or start-ups, most prominent of which seems to be Dimiourghia Xana ("rebirth", a lofty title if there was one and probably necessary!) that comprises executives, small business owners, professionals and technicians, and as such, has no funding whatsoever, relying on the internet and word of mouth to fuel its campaign. Dimourghia Xana promises to bring (back) "common sense" into Greece's political, administrative, everyday life...

It is to be hoped that they -- or any other similarly inclined party -- win elections some time in the near future of this country because by all accounts it seems that competency and common sense are what are most missing in Greece ruling & political ranks.

Until such time as that happens, it will still take 6-12 months to obtain a license to operate in Greece and, whatever you do and however you do it, some inspection or other can pop over and hand out to you a hefty fine -- promising that "it's OK, things will be straightened out in court". In the meantime, you have to disburse 50% of the fine to bring the matter to court...

Let's hope the Greeks who voted for common sense do not lose hope!