Editorial: Pillar

History confirms that the continual expansion of the middle class is an overarching objective of democracy and of all economies.

A shrinking of the middle class means that its members are driven toward marginalisaation and the margins bolster political extremes.

Marginalised people seek out extreme voices through which to express the disappointment and sometimes rage by which they are often consumed.

Greece’s economic crisis resulted in a shrinking of the middle class.

A study conducted by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) concluded that over-taxation broke the back of the middle class, especially in the last years of the crisis.

The median taxation and insurance contributions rose from 19.3 percent in 2009, to 19.7 percent in 2014, and to 27.9 percent in 2018.

The middle class is still over-taxed and is thus shouldering an extremely disproportionate burden which impedes its expansion.

The middle class, however, is a basic pillar of the democratic system of government.

That is yet another reason that the government must act swiftly to relieve part of this burden.

This is not only an issue of economic prosperity but also of maintaining the democratic order.

It is an issue of protecting democracy.

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