Papandreou can't change Greece

Commenting on the victory of George Papandreou's Socialists in Greece the conservative daily Die Welt writes: "Only few Greeks however believe that the country will change much now that the Papandreou clan is at the helm. … For nowadays any group that sees its interests under threat can prevent reforms merely by getting noisy or staging violent street protests. This is why [Kostas] Karamanlis neither managed to trim the bureaucracy down to size nor open up the job market nor reform the health and pension systems. Not to mention the floundering finances. And he also failed to set up a cadastre that would make things more difficult for arsonists. Greece is suffering under a coalition of despair between politicians and citizens. But the country can no longer afford this comfortable lethargy. Papandreou must make fundamental changes to the way politics have been conducted for decades now. But it's doubtful whether this dynastic heir is the right man to do this."

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Greece
All available articles from » Clemens Wergin

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, October 6, 2009