Editorial: Established interests

It is a method that has been tried and tested many times in the past.

Parties aspiring to govern the country unleashed attacks against established business interests, with the aim of creating a new business establishment, with the hope that they would thus entrench themselves once they came to power.

Experience proved that no government became stronger due to the backing of vested business interests.

On the contrary, governments were quickly confronted with dependencies, submissiveness, and obligations that they brought upon themselves, by joining forces with interests which they thought would help bring them to come to power and maintain it.

These governments became subservient to those who offered them assistance, not for ideological or other noble reasons, but rather in order to secure quid pro quos.

This model, unfortunately all too well known in Greece, is being replicated today.

Already from his days as opposition leader, the current prime minister, and his inner circle, laboured to create a friendly business environment that would support him. Instead, the government is confronted with apparent dependencies and promissory notes.

The creation of this new business establishment has boomeranged, and has exposed both the prime minister and his government.

They have harmed him, because such relationships do not evolve in plain sight, but rather on the sidelines, without transparency, with a host of transactions with business interests that seek and receive political cover for dubious activities.