Op-Ed: Show duels

By Gina Moscholiou

The idea was tabled by -who else? – SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras.

He said that it would be well if instead of PM Kyriakos and himself exchanging public statements, there should be a no-holds-barred debate.

It makes one wonder. Given the facts that debates are conducted for a certain purpose or circumstance, let us say that the two party leaders were to hold one now, and then what?

Will Syriza continue with the same opposition tack as it has adopted so far, and if so what would be the purpose of a debate? What is the special circumstance that would vanish after a single debate?

Would Mr. Tsipras prefer to establish debates on a permanent basis, so that instead of discussing issues in Parliament, every Friday night we would have the “debating hour” with Messrs Mitsotakis and Tsipras on television, with ads and popcorn?

The legislature, the institutional locus of debate in a parliamentary democracy  such as ours, has a disadvantage for Alexis Tsipras.

There, he cannot be the sole speaker. SYRIZA, KINAL, and all other MPs also speak, and they impede SYRIZA’s leader from doing what he does best – fueling personalised political skirmishes.

What a pity for him that democracy does not work that way.