Karamanlis: I wasn’t briefed, didn’t realize how serious things are!
2
Karamanlis: I wasn’t briefed, didn’t realize how serious things are! Visit the source: www.landomiracles.com The old adage says that in politics -- just like in so many other endeavors -- timing is everything. Prime minister Karamanlis, in his early days at the helm, seemed to understand this key ingredient of success as he embarked on “re-inventing” the Greek state administration and beginning much-needed reforms. En route though Mr . Karamanlis must have lost his appreciation of timing. With the country’s big cities having suffered immensely from the riots, with militant students promising more fire and axe, with the country’s economy in dire straits, and the majority of the population in a phobic state of mind in the face of the worst domestic crisis since the end of WWII, save the Communist Party’ s 1944-49 attempt to overthrow the government and force Greece into the (now thankfully) defu nct Soviet sphere, Mr . Karamanlis gathered his lawmakers in parliament yesterday to announce he wasn’t sufficiently aware (!) of the length and breath of the political crisis that has been developing since last summer around the Vatopedion scandal -- which has led to a deadlocked parliamentary inquiry and opposition demands for a criminal investigat ion focusing on some of Karamanlis’ s present and past cabinet ministers. Here’s what Karamanlis said (you can find the whole speech, in Greek, here): T oday , it is clear that things [re. Vatopedion] were of more serious dimensions than what we originally estimated. I need to say -- and I say it directly -- that I, myself, also underestimated the issue. I did not see its extent on time. I did not have the whole picture when I was first invited to express my position. This mistake I won’t assign to anybody else. It was mine. I had though complete trust in t he Judiciary , just like I always have and we all need to have. I recognize we needed to have had stronger reflexes..... [emphasis mine]. I know that citizens have been injured by all the scandalous things that happened in Vatopedi. The Government has an objective political responsibility for every issue that injures citizens. I therefore directly assume the share of responsibility that is due to us. This is what I always did throughout my political course. This is what I do now . But I do not accept insinuations that aim at twisting things and slandering. Karamanlis’ s words triggered a standing ovation from his lawmakers. I’m not sure t hough that anyone else, save the most hard-core supporters of the New Democracy party, would have joined in that applause. Mr . Karamanlis actually told us that he, as the chief executive of the State, was in fact left without sufficient information by his top aides; that he, himself, failed to catch a glimpse of the nonstop avalanche that surrounded the Vatopedion scandal for reasons that remain unclear , when even the last dumbass in this country was drowning in the media Va topedion onslaught; that his ministers obviously communicated inaccurate estimates of the situation to him; and that, in the end, he, himself, a man of younger age with an understanding of the communication technologies that are now available to every last 12-year old, wouldn’t do the simple thing of glimpsing online at the ongoing barrage while having his morning coffee at his desk. Recognizing one’ s deficiencies and mistakes is always a noble thing to d o, especially if you are a politicians (and a Greek politician at that) -- but it may be the wrong move for a prime minister in the middle of an enormous crisis if it is done after the roof has collapsed, rioters have burned the commercial center of the country’s capital, and hundreds of thousands are despairing over lost livelihoods, lost businesses, lost jobs, and lost futures. It is the wrong thing to do because it is done under obvious pressure from a situation whose control has been long lost and while all opponents of the government slowly but deliberately close in for the kill. I won’t waste my, and your, time on speculation on what could have been done or what the prime minister’s timing should have been. I have no doubt that those directly affected by the riots aren’t celebrating because the prime minister admitted he was in the dark over the direction of domestic politics; they have their own gutted shops and threatening debts to struggle with and no prime ministerial “I am sorry” will help them face the next few weeks and months of desperation. As for the rest of the country , Mr . Karamanlis’ belated display of political honesty will have little effect on the sinking fortunes of his party and on reversing the almost certain prospect of a disaster at the next general election. Visit the source: www.landomiracles.com
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Transcript of Karamanlis: I wasn’t briefed, didn’t realize how serious things are!
Karamanlis: I wasn’t briefed, didn’t realize how serious things are!
Visit the source: www.landomiracles.com
The old adage says that in politics -- just like in so many other endeavors -- timing is everything. Primeminister Karamanlis, in his early days at the helm, seemed to understand this key ingredient of success as heembarked on “re-inventing” the Greek state administration and beginning much-needed reforms.
En route though Mr. Karamanlis must have lost his appreciation of timing. With the country’s big cities havingsuffered immensely from the riots, with militant students promising more fire and axe, with the country’seconomy in dire straits, and the majority of the population in a phobic state of mind in the face of the worstdomestic crisis since the end of WWII, save the Communist Party’s 1944-49 attempt to overthrow thegovernment and force Greece into the (now thankfully) defunct Soviet sphere, Mr. Karamanlis gathered hislawmakers in parliament yesterday to announce he wasn’t sufficiently aware (!) of the length and breath of the political crisis that has been developing since last summer around the Vatopedion scandal -- which has ledto a deadlocked parliamentary inquiry and opposition demands for a criminal investigation focusing on someof Karamanlis’s present and past cabinet ministers. Here’s what Karamanlis said (you can find the wholespeech, in Greek, here):
Today, it is clear that things [re. Vatopedion] were of more serious dimensions than what weoriginally estimated. I need to say -- and I say it directly -- that I, myself, also underestimated the issue. I did not see its extent on time. I did not have the whole picture when I was firstinvited to express my position. This mistake I won’t assign to anybody else. It was mine. I hadthough complete trust in the Judiciary, just like I always have and we all need to have. Irecognize we needed to have had stronger reflexes..... [emphasis mine].
I know that citizens have been injured by all the scandalous things that happened in Vatopedi.The Government has an objective political responsibility for every issue that injures citizens. Itherefore directly assume the share of responsibility that is due to us. This is what I always didthroughout my political course. This is what I do now. But I do not accept insinuations that aim attwisting things and slandering.
Karamanlis’s words triggered a standing ovation from his lawmakers. I’m not sure though that anyone else,save the most hard-core supporters of the New Democracy party, would have joined in that applause. Mr.Karamanlis actually told us that he, as the chief executive of the State, was in fact left without sufficientinformation by his top aides; that he, himself, failed to catch a glimpse of the nonstop avalanche thatsurrounded the Vatopedion scandal for reasons that remain unclear, when even the last dumbass in thiscountry was drowning in the media Vatopedion onslaught; that his ministers obviously communicatedinaccurate estimates of the situation to him; and that, in the end, he, himself, a man of younger age with anunderstanding of the communication technologies that are now available to every last 12-year old, wouldn’tdo the simple thing of glimpsing online at the ongoing barrage while having his morning coffee at his desk.
Recognizing one’s deficiencies and mistakes is always a noble thing to do, especially if you are a politicians(and a Greek politician at that) -- but it may be the wrong move for a prime minister in the middle of anenormous crisis if it is done after the roof has collapsed, rioters have burned the commercial center of thecountry’s capital, and hundreds of thousands are despairing over lost livelihoods, lost businesses, lost jobs,and lost futures. It is the wrong thing to do because it is done under obvious pressure from a situation whosecontrol has been long lost and while all opponents of the government slowly but deliberately close in for thekill.
I won’t waste my, and your, time on speculation on what could have been done or what the prime minister’stiming should have been. I have no doubt that those directly affected by the riots aren’t celebrating becausethe prime minister admitted he was in the dark over the direction of domestic politics; they have their owngutted shops and threatening debts to struggle with and no prime ministerial “I am sorry” will help them facethe next few weeks and months of desperation. As for the rest of the country, Mr. Karamanlis’ belated displayof political honesty will have little effect on the sinking fortunes of his party and on reversing the almostcertain prospect of a disaster at the next general election.
Visit the source: www.landomiracles.com
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