Editorial Ta Nea: Obligations

The five-day quarantine of main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, who tested positive for COVID-19, according to party cadres will not affect the obligations of the party in the first week after the holidays.

Indeed, the main opposition is raising the tone of its rhetoric, is promising more, and is adopting a generous stance on any issue that makes news.

Tsipras posts on the social media and frequently as possible. His last post had a picture of his COVID-positive self-test and he criticised the low number of quarantine days mandated by the National Public Health Organisation – because as he maintained it is not enough to stem the spread of the virus in the community.

The shadow education minister hastened to prepare the university students movement for mobilisation in order to overturn the “reactionary” plans of the government, after the issue of establishing a university policing force came to the forefront of public debate.

His deputy, who is well aware that daily life in the pandemic concerns the educational community, demanded that free testing be offered even to staff at private English tutoring centres.

Narrative

SYRIZA’s spokesman reiterated proposals for a minimum wage hike, lowering the special consumption tax, and intervention in the pricing of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) in order to stem inflation.

The secretary of the parliamentary group summarised the reasons for the leftist hyperactivity.

“It is always a time for elections when the ruling party chooses, and always in accordance with the Constitution,” the secretary said.

SYRIZA is beginning the new year with an attempt to exploit all of the government’s open fronts. It is counting on disgruntled energy consumers, the anti-right-wing reflexes of the youth, the wear and tear of the government, and public fatigue from the pandemic.

The strategy of negative advertising regarding an opponent is not irrational. Indeed, it is almost mandatory in opposition mores after the post-junta regime change.

Yet, just as last year and the year before that, leftists forget an important detail.

For the second party to finish first, it is not enough to wait for the government to fall like a ripe fruit. It must offer its prospective voters a clearly viable narrative.