I’m the last person to argue that having loud voices in politics is problematic. Because in life, those who are an “open book”, even if they sometimes deviate, are preferable to those who hide and those who “hold their backs”.
I’m also the last person to say we don’t need strong party leaders. Placed leaders who, if necessary, simply announce that someone has “excluded from the movement”. Not because I believe in personality-oriented parties, but otherwise I insist on the idea of ​​principled parties. But why is it important to have leaders in politics? Charismatic individuals with leadership qualities who can come forward, offering, among other things, the first guarantee that the party can govern.
Of course, it is enough that both “raised tones” and demonstrations of “leadership determination” correspond to a political proposal with a clear ideological stamp, complement the political program, and are part of an integrated political strategy.
Because otherwise, we are dealing only with “tricks”, with a kind of political theater that tries to cover up the lack of strategy with low-quality commercial performances.
And this is happening today in SYRIZA, but also in the wider democratic space. There is no political discussion, that is, a discussion about how there can be an alternative, convincing proposal for governing the country, and the political spectacle dominates. Either about opposition “magic”, or about leadership.
Ignoring that what the citizen wants to see is not that the deputies scold the ministers. Not because voters suffer from decency. But why from deputies and parties waiting for political intervention, have arguments, come up with specific counter-proposals. And only when deputies and parties do it, citizens understand the need for sometimes harsh rhetoric and “raised tones”.
After all, citizens are not stupid. They understand well when “loudness” is a real outrage, especially when it is combined with political arguments and when it replaces political speech and just floats around meaninglessly.
Accordingly, citizens perceive much better than politicians think What does political leadership mean? And they know that its basis is not so much “leadership style” as strategic content. True political leaders are judged primarily by their ability to formulate policies, speak out and, above all, inspire society to mobilize in a political direction. Then they are judged on their “determination”.
Political…scrutiny, which has often intensified recently, only underscores that the wider political space remains in deep crisis.
Whether we are talking about the ongoing intra-party conflicts in SYRIZA or the fact that PASOK is officially in the process of electing a leadership, it is clear that practically the entire spectrum of political forces that should normally work to ensure that there is fear of competitors in the government, which, although it does not admit it, has faced a crisis of legitimacy, today it is not able to be on top.
That’s why they always turn to one or the other page from the “textbook on political spectacles”, not noticing that politics is ultimately neither a theater nor a spectacle.
Except that in this way they simply contribute to the foundation of a general crisis, which becomes a victim not only of their own political space, but also of the quality of democracy.
Because today in Greece we are faced with a crisis that concerns the essence of the functioning of democracy, which is that there can be a confrontation between political groups, when one rules, the other can judge, control and offer an alternative. proposal.
If we simply have a ruling faction that is essentially a minority and rules because it has no rivals, and an opposition that is fragmented, insular and committed to party factionalism, then democracy simply does not work and politics is discredited.
The result is the worst possible combination: political apathy and cynicism in one part of society, open ears to the far-right sirens in another.
It is clear that this trend cannot continue for long. Because sections of society that already feel without reliable political support in their angst for another policy proposal will now begin to feel like political orphans.
They will lose faith not in this or that version of the left, but in the very possibility that politics will be a way to improve their lives.
Those who believe that all this is a peculiar and dangerous political descent, it is better to act now. It’s not too late. Crises can act as catalysts for new things. There are usually no failures.