Who will convince the citizens?

[FarCenter]

Let's not forget what prompted George Papandreou's ill-fated and panic-stricken effort to unburden himself of the weight of government by calling a referendum: the need for radical reforms, the popular rage that this has provoked and the sporadic violence of small but persistent groups. When the myth that our governments don't need to govern (as long as they just pretend to) crashed against reality, it was natural that something would give. The weakest link, from his election two years ago, was George Papandreou. The man who carries the banner of consensus and transparency, at home and abroad, caused irreparable damage to his own and Greece's credibility with improvisations that managed to surprise even his closest aides. He seemed to lose his cool under pressure from protests and the merciless attacks of opposition parties.

Who will withstand the blows that brought down George Papandreou? Which prime minister, which government will ignore the reactions that will accompany the implementation of measures whose adoption by parliament has already caused a rupture in society – measures such as dismissals in the public sector, new cuts to wages and pensions, harsher taxation, privatization and the utilization of public assets?

Today our country needs a prime minister who will feel secure enough not to be shaken by public outbursts and will be able to shoulder the burden of his responsibilities domestically and in dealing with our foreign partners. When the PASOK government, with an adequate majority, did not dare to support its own decisions, and the whole of the opposition damned them, will the members of a coalition be able to implement measures that some of its members were fighting? Will the parties that stay out of government, the unions and other organized groups consider the danger that Greece faces? Or will they be encouraged by Papandreou's woes and so continue to invest in chaos? The virulence of the demonstrations against the reforms will determine, to a great extent, the legitimacy of the new government and its negotiating power with our creditors. This will determine our future.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_32699_06/11/2011_413458