FLASH
Shkruar nga Kyriakos Mitsotakis
For Greece, the fight against populism will continue to be linked to guaranteeing equitable economic growth, as it moves in line with a progressive centrist Europe.
The tumultuous history of Greek politics since 1945 shows us that where there is emptiness, there is often trouble. This has never been more evident than in the decade following the global financial crisis that erupted in 2007, when the country slowly but inexorably fell victim to the empty promises of populism.
Greece's rule by a populist-led government was relatively short-lived. However, the damage was great. The country I inherited when I was elected prime minister in 2019 was widely seen as the "sick of Europe". Today, Greece sees itself in a different position.
Last year we were classified by "The Economist" as a model development country. And we have been at the top of this ranking for 2 years in a row. In last summer's elections, the populist left weakened and my party won a second term with an increased share of the vote.
And yet, post-pandemic, amid a war on the continent, an energy crisis, challenges from immigration and high inflation, the same populist impulses we've seen in Greece are on the rise again in much of the rest of Europe.
And this situation raises the question: What can the experience of Greece since 2019 tell us about why something like this is happening and what can be done? The fight against the rise of populism has no single solution. However, some deep-rooted issues need to be addressed.
For example, we receive the complaints of the majority of citizens. Even today, European liberals, of which I am one, are still unable or unwilling to acknowledge that the grievances fueling the emergence of the new wave of populism—from globalization to the rising cost of living—are real and truth.
It is an approach that manifests itself in "us and them" divisions and is based on the "we know how to do things better" approach. Such an approach brings with it disastrous consequences. Because it desensitizes us to the suffering of ordinary people, clouds our judgment about the issues we should prioritize, and ultimately alienates voters.
In 2015 Greece found itself at the head of a strong wave of populism. Its first populist government was elected in January of that year, and Greeks gave it a majority eight months later. In this way, Greece was an impetus for all other populist ideologies: it was run by a hybrid coalition of extreme left and right.
In the 4 years that followed I learned that populists promise heaven, but in the end their promises are completely empty and unworkable. The proper response to such extremes lies in providing effective policies, while being prepared to challenge and even reject your own orthodoxies and prejudices when necessary.
This means preparing to adapt rapidly to global events by embracing a new triangular logic: pro-growth but with fiscally responsible governance; a tough approach to illegal immigration with a focus on security, alongside a strong foreign policy and a liberal approach at home.
In economic terms, we were focused on growth: lowering taxes, supporting entrepreneurs, encouraging investment through market reforms. But we also understood the importance of being fiscally responsible. The result was one of the highest growth rates in the eurozone, and a rapid reduction in debt-to-GDP.
The financial rating agencies are rewarding us for the work we have done by returning the Greek debt to the normal status that encourages anyone to invest in it. On immigration, we fearlessly established and enforced tougher border controls.
But at the same time, we greatly reduced the time it took us to process asylum applications, improved conditions in our reception centers and created legal pathways for worker mobility. In foreign policy, we built new regional partnerships around trade, security and energy supply.
And in our relations with Turkey, we faced challenges face to face, keeping the door of dialogue open. These reforms allowed me to focus on a more liberal social platform at home: tackling inequality, improving public services through digitization, and even addressing progressive issues like marriage equality.
I was clear that as long as the economy was strong, whatever fiscal surplus we generated above our targets would be used to support the most vulnerable families.
Between the 2019 and 2023 elections, people saw rapid changes. Unemployment fell, economic growth increased significantly after the pandemic and we regained the confidence of markets and foreign investors. At the same time, the country moved towards the green and digital economies of the future.
Greece began to have a greater weight in the European Union. Relations with Turkey began to improve. The amount of funding we applied for in the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the centerpiece of the EU's Covid-19 recovery plan, was one of the largest of any member state, and we were approved before any other country.
The European Commission recognized that our strategic use of those funds was in line with our growth strategy: fostering a strong recovery and a more stable economy and society. The landslide victory in the June elections last year showed that this approach works.
That it was really possible to build a new anti-populist coalition between the left and the right. That victory showed that it was possible to limit the space available to populists, while keeping our traditional right and center-right voters happy, and attracting other Greeks who identify as centrist or even center-left.
Far-right parties received 12 percent of the vote. But this figure is much weaker than in most European countries. In an age of widespread cynicism, Greece has shown that politics can be done differently. In the end, the most powerful shield against populism is to listen and keep the promises you made.
The awards given to Greece by this magazine will mean little if its economy is not growing, and if it is unable to generate the additional revenue needed to support health care reform and guarantee a public education better quality.
For Greece, the fight against populism will continue to be linked to guaranteeing equitable economic growth, as it moves in line with a progressive centrist Europe. And this requires honesty. When mistakes are made, they must be admitted.
This requires the ability to show that you are really making a difference, and not just promising it. But above all, it requires clarity. For example, it is about explaining why an assessment of the investment rate is not only about satisfying the markets - that is, guaranteeing lower credit costs for citizens - or why it is important to attract foreign investment to create more many high paying jobs.
This is very important because at its core all politics, although not necessarily always local, is always related to the individual, the family and the well-being of the family. Only by implementing this can we begin to restore trust and defeat populism. / Adapted "Pamphlet" from "The Economist"
Note: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece.
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