By D. Hatzinikolas
The leftist Greek government is reportedly considering different strategy to divert the public dialogue from the ongoing negotiations with institutional creditors and fiscal matters to issues it believes interest society more, or even comprise more a preferential "playing field" for its brand of policies.
A more-or-less abrupt announcement unveiling the government’s volition for constitutional revision and a change in the election law highlighted this process last week, in the wake of a latest batch of austerity measures - punctuated by a bevy of direct and indirect tax hikes - that took effect after June 1.
One point apparently figuring in the government’s strategy to change the agenda of public debate are results of a recent opinion poll published in the Sunday weekly “Vima”.
According to the poll’s results, 62.5 percent of respondents consider that the recent conclusion of a first review of the Greek program (third bailout) is a positive development, while only 35.5 percent of respondents want snap elections now.
Nevertheless, not all of ruling SYRIZA’s cadres and MPs are confident that an initiative to begin debate on whatever constitutional revisions and the election law will pique society’s interest. One deputy, Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for the government’s coordination of efforts for the refugee crisis, said “initiatives such as constitutional revision are merely fanciful talk”, while the “constitution is just fine, mutatis mutandis.”
