Three-ring circus

by George Gilson:

George Papandreou, Antonis Samaras and Yiorgos Karatzaferis have turned Greece into a three-ring circus, and both the people and the press are enraged.

The unconscionable collusion of the prime minister and his old college chum, conservative leader Antonis Samaras, in choosing Papandreou’s alter ego – parliament speaker Filippos Petsalnikos – as premier in a “unity” government created an uproar in their respective parliamentary groups. But since both party leaders treat their MPs like abused chambermaids, it took an ultraright presidential hall putsch, by Popular Orthodox Rally (Laos) leader Yiorgos Karatzaferis, to overturn the plot to turn a coalition government into a continuation of Papandreou’s disastrous rule.

The George and Antonis show was upset by Karatzaferis, who stormed out of the presidential palace with the intensity of Maria Callas playing Medea, because Papandreou and Samaras were discussing the new government without him.

He demanded that banker Lucas Papademos – who is widely viewed as the best choice to be interim premier due to his clout in EU power and finance circles – be appointed prime minister anyway.

The Laos leader’s well-staged scene managed to force Papademos’ candidacy to return to the forefront, and talks were going on between the banker, Papandreou and Samaras as the Athens dailies were going to press. So the ultraright may become the kingmaker that brinks a banker to power.

Some feared that a Papademos government to revive Costas Simitis’ modernising clique, which was responsible for so much corruption, including the huge Siemens kickback scandal. Everyone knows, of course, that Papademos was Bank of Greece governor when Simitis was cooking the books to get Greece into the euro.

Judging by the last candidates – Petsalnikos and Papademos – a solid command of German is a top qualification for the job of Greek premier.

Operetta is the word chosen by a number of dailies to describe the utter degeneration of the Greek political system.

“Operetta at the Megaron” said Eleftherotypia, using a double entendre (megaron refers both to the presidential mansion and the Athens music hall).

“Operetta! The leaders, the gardener and poor Greece” exclaimed Ta Nea’s headline, in the form of an opera name. Act I: Papandreou decides to make Petsalnikos prime minister. Act II: Venizelos and MPs from both Pasok and ND react [negatively]. Act III: Samaras-Papandreou sip coffee and Karatzaferis puts on a show. Act IV: Petsalnikos’ candidacy is burned and Papademos is besieged [courted by Papandreou and Samaras] all night.

“There she is, there she is: the prime minister!” declared the headline of weekly Pontiki, featuring a photograph of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Anxiety succeeds disgust” said Kathimerini of the “shipwreck” of Petsalnikos’ candidacy and the turn to Papademos.

“The choice is a one-way street, a premier with stature” concluded Ethnos, pointing to Papademos.

That Greeks are now begging to be led by a banker is a tribute to the Greek political system’s ability to demolish trust in representative democracy.