Which Greek politician received the most votes in the recent Euro-elections?
Mr Manolis (Emmanuel) Glezos, hero of WW-2, and now 91 years old. Mr Glezos has a fear of flying and it is unlikely he will visit the Euopean parliament -- i.e. his workplace -- any time soon. Frankly, at 92 he probably has many, much better and more pressing things to do...
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| Mr Glezos in 2007 |
Mr Glezos is a nice man and, given his age and experience, a wise one with many stories to tell. European politics probably isn't one of these stories. Or, if it is, it certainly is not one of the noteworthy ones compared to the rest!
So why did he score the highest?
The fact may be interpreted in countless ways.Here are a few:
0) Because in Greece people are used to voting and have been, on & off, for the past 2,400 years. So they vote for whomever they like, for any reason whatsoever!
1) Because voting for him is a reward for his symbolic bravery against the German Nazi invaders;
2) Because people in Greece vote emotionally, not rationally?
3) Because voters felt there was not much choice of "decent" contenders presenting themselves...
4) Because the act of voting is not directly or causally related to the actual job at hand -- but a prize as it were. (see 2 above)
Question: would contemporary Greek voters vote in the same manner if it were the position of centre attacker for their favourite FOOTBALL team -- even if that person knew nothing about football, and was 92 years old?
One may speculate that it would serve the country and Mr Glezos much better if voters took some time to think about the job at hand as well as the personality and the past experience of the person they are voting for... and offer Mr Glezos a meaningful distinction that he deserves!
Being a MEP is not a prize; it is a function. And a temporary one at that.
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