Hugo Dixon to OT: Greeks didn’t want a return to the chaos of the past

Renown Reuters columnist Hugo Dixon attempts to decipher the message of the ballot box, shortly after the great victory of New Democracypointing out that the Greek people proved they did not want to relive the adventures of the last few years.

Speaking to OT, the distinguished economics analyst emphasizes that “Most of the people want sober stable government that is going to be good for the economy. This is what Mitsotakis offered. They don’t want to return to the chaos of the past. They were afraid Tsipras would take them there – though he is, of course, less a firebrand than in 2015.”

Tsipras and the center-left

Asked about the centre-left and its future, on the occasion of the painful defeat of SYRIZA, Hugo Dixon points out meaningfully that “Tsipras is radical left, not centre left – and was responsible for nearly driving Greece over the precipice in 2015.”

“That said, the left/centre-left has struggled not just in Greece but in much of Europe in recent years. I still think the centre-left could have a valuable role to play in European politics if it concentrates on two big things: fairness; and climate change,” he points out.

According to Mr. Dixon, “Fairness is not quite the same as equality. For example, it’s fair that people who work hard get paid more than those who don’t. Fairness also means that people should not be able to get extremely rich without playing by the rules – and the rules should give everybody a fair chance of doing well and help those who don’t.

Regarding climate change, the Reuters columnist notes that “every country, including Greece, needs to go faster. Although this will be beneficial in the medium term, there will be short-term costs. The centre-left thoughout Europe should be pushing for faster action on climate change, with the richer people bearing the biggest share of the short-term costs..”

Smiles and misgivings on Predator

“Europeans should be happy that Mitsotakis is set to continue as PM – with one reservation: Predator. The PM was slow to react when the first news of the spyware scandal broke and hasn’t shown any enthusiasm to get to the bottom of it. This is despite the fact that whoever has been spying on politicians, journalists and other prominent people has been undermining democracy. Now that Mitsotakis is set for an overall majority, Greece will probably never get to the bottom of this scandal. This is a shame, as the country deserves a well-functioning democracy as well as a thriving economy,” noted Mr. Dixon

Finally, on the occasion of the election rally for shares and bonds and the messages that investors “see” the investment grade even closer, the British columnist is parsimonious and has nothing to say that will make us any wiser.