New Year’s Eve was a very bad day for the credibility of the Christodoulides Government. I would say, for the political ethics of some within the broader presidential field as well. I don’t blame the President himself at all, as there is no evidence to support that.
However, when the main message of a significant interview with the President of the Republic in Phileleftheros appears on the front pages, almost identically, in two or three other newspapers, embellished with names of ministers who, according to the informants, will be asked to resign, then we are dealing with work carried out by parrots. One, two, three, ten, it doesn’t matter. Whether voluntarily or on a mission. I choose to believe voluntarily.
But the President cannot be absolved of responsibility. There is no problem of readability or impact of the interview on the readership because the, according to many, more important information/statement it contained was leaked and published on the same day in other newspapers. The interview, in any case, made a splash, featured in many media outlets, significant excerpts were broadcasted in Greek media, and it was a major topic of discussion during New Year’s. All good.
The issue is that some close to the President wanted to be absolutely sure that the imminent reshuffle of the Cabinet would be a super-headline in all media. To overshadow everything. Not just the reshuffle, but more so, “the dismissals” without ministerial retirement for those who would be asked to resign before completing 18 months. And to spin the information positively in the media, towards the President, as no one would complain about not having the news. Essentially, that the President does not wear masks, will reshuffle, and will do it now, he won’t wait for them to retire.
The additional problem was that some didn’t stop at the deliberate multiplication of commendatory comments by a portion of public opinion (via the widespread dissemination of information) about some “inadequate ministers” that the good President would remove promptly, but they also spread names. Some 3-4, some 5-6, some 7-8. Don’t worry; information from official sources confirms that the President of the Republic will not be reshuffled. He continues!
The President cannot be burdened with the responsibility for the behavior of one, or many associates without specific information or evidence. However, he can be burdened with the responsibility for the silence he maintained from New Year’s Eve in the face of what is being leaked and spread. For ministers whom he personally selected in March, “dismissed” most of them, even though months before, during the election period, he told us they were chosen and ready. Now he says that… after 10 months, he knows the ministers well.
On the other hand, it seems that some in the Presidential circle do not realize – perhaps even the President himself – that the sooner a reshuffle happens, the more deafening is the public admission of a mistake by the one who appointed them. And the more they are reshuffled, the greater the scope of the mess created by wrong, according to the presidential claim, choices. Understandable and commendable, let’s say, the admission of a mistake. But is it necessary to be stigmatized with flawed political ethics by some in the presidential environment? Without the President being moved?
