The problem with politics and the ideal politician
By: Christos Papadopoulos
Tags: State, Elections, Greece, Politics

The national elections that was held on July 7 in Greece as well as the previous European elections and developments in the USA have troubled me about the state of politics both in my country and in general. That is why I intend to express my views on how one should go about being a good politician , what is happening in modern politics and how it can be changed.

First of all, politics is something that exists from the moment people were organized into a society. Since ancient times, there have been many philosophers, thinkers and writers who have wondered what the right politician should be. Of course, this is somewhat subjective, depending on each society, but some conclusions can certainly be drawn. It seems that the most important characteristic of a politician is to aim for the common good.This, of course, is as follows: someone involved in politics should not aim to serve personal interests (for example, pass laws in Parliament in order to be paid by a company), but do what is in the best interests of the people.Of course, he should not ignore the will of the people because he believes that what he is doing is right, but to listen to them and take his own will into account. Even when he does something that the people do not like, he must be willing to take political responsibility and whatever that entails (possibly even resignation). The politician is first and foremost a role model. It is not possible for someone who uses vulgarities and insults against other people to be considered a good politician.Because of course there will be disagreements, but it is the politician’s job to disagree with subtlety and to respond with logical arguments , not with emotion (such as “those who want the best for our country and are patriots know what they will vote for” recently heard by an MP of a neighboring country) but not with personal confrontations and insults (as unfortunately was heard in our Parliament by the Prime Minister and the leader of the official opposition).The politician must be willing to change his mind, if his own mistakes are proven, or if new facts emerge, he must reconsider them. He has a duty to be open to discussion and to acknowledge the validity of other point of views. Finally, it is necessary to serve the truth and not partisan interests, which harm the country in the long run.

Of course, the current situation is generally the opposite. Apart from the example of insults, it is clear that the majority of politicians serve their own interests. In fact, they do not hesitate to use lies and empty promises to achieve their re-election. Moreover, the Greek parliament has more members than several European countries, although it has a similar or smaller population, which is a sign of an unhealthy amount of corruption.

Proportionally, Greece has the largest number of MPs than any other country, but without feeling better represented. So this is an indication that there is a fundamental problem with this political system, which as mentioned before is probably corruption (because the politicians could lower the number if they wanted to, or try to stop the patronage which is widely spread and rooted in the greek mind) .The american system also seems very corrupt on the premise of having lobying being so widely available and almost a prerequisite to run. Politicians, on the other hand, often try to manipulate the people and keep them ignorant, so that they do not know what is in their best interest.Typical proof of this position is the education system or rather the changes applied to it. Almost every time a minister of education changes in Greece for example, the education system changes, and even the nationwide university exams, which are the most important part of it for many students (since it allows admission to universities or technical colleges), change fundamentaly and in a short time (such as replacing latin with sociology).In other countries, the education system is fool of propaganda , especially in the Balkans and in the USA .However, it is not only education that keeps the people in ignorance but also the media, which succumbs to interests of politicians too often and does not defend open and fair discussion( prime example is the media in the USA, which is very polarized about the parties. In Europe, it is a problem too but definetlely not to that extent) and lastly too much bureaucracy, which prevents citizens from understanding the ways the state operates.

Of course, the most important factor that citizens remain unaware of is that they themselves do not seek to know about political events, a phenomenon known as apoliticalization. To some extent, apoliticization exists in every country, but here in Greece it is on the rise( I believe it happens to other countries too,but I can only speak about Greece with certainty). Usually most people who are not involved in politics (that is, they do not vote) are people with skills and critical thinking who are frustrated with the current situation and do not think that their vote matters. Thus, they let others decide their fate .And it is true that the political situation in most countries including Greece is not healthy as already mentioned, but this is not a reason for the citizens to stray away from voting. Simultaneously with this phenomenon, in Greece there is the brain drain (ie people who are educated here, usually quite specialized and with a high level leave abroad) and so the country loses remarkable people who could be involved in politics. Strengthening the wrong politicians is a logical consequence. Furthermore, many people decide to vote without this meaning that they are voting in the right way. Let me explain myself: under normal circumstances, people vote after carefully checking and examining the candidates (apart from the European and elections, unfortunately, most of whom vote for the party just like the american elections) and after taking into account their own interests and those of the social group to which they belong. However, mainly in Greece and the USA and in some other countries, there is a tendency for many people to vote partisanly or based on the patronage system and therelation it creates with the politician. In other words, they have blind trust in the party and do not think about whether they agree with its policy (of course this is best done in the US, with bipartisanship and blind trust in the two major parties).Others are even worse, either because they are manipulated or because they are frustrated with all the parties, they become fanatised and turn to the extreme parties. In this way, they contribute to the representation of these parties in Parliament and to promote these ideas. In conclusion, a fairly large percentage of population that belongs to the electorate either leaves abroad or does not vote, while a significant percentage of those vote incorrectly either show blind trust in the party or are extremely fanatical in Greece. as in other countries.

It is obvious that such a situation should be corrected, but the question is how to improve the political system . Unfortunately, as in other matters, it is impossible to change the mentality of society (at least without the use of the media, which would not renounce the interests of themselves and politicians, who often favor ignorance and lack of critical thought). But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done to improve the situation. A person realizing how to vote and exercise the right to vote is a— albeit small — gain. It may not bring about mass change, but only if it is done by several people, some results will begin to show. Of course, it’s best to influence a lot of people through articles and speeches and of course by appearing in the media (if that’s possible). As we find ourselves in a world with parliamentaries democracies, it seems necessary for someone to form a party in order to be able to influence decision-making.Therefore, it becomes necessary to encourage those who are really worthy of engaging in politics. However, there is not much that can be done to bring those who deserve it to power, except for the right vote and the capability of them becoming candidates(its their choise after all).So, we, the citizens, need to wake up as many of our fellow citizens as possible and pressure the politicians in any way we can, either through protests (which, of course, did not seem to be very successful in recent years) or even better to combine them with our vote, as this is the main interest of many politicians and they will be forced to pay attentiont and cater to it.

Of course, all solutions presuppose the activism of even some citizens, in order to try to improve the conditions. Only the society of active citizens can contribute to the awakening of the people, as the perception has prevailed (to citizens and politicians) that the state belongs in the ruling party or parties, a dangerous perception, which is the cause of most arbitrariness and it is being reinforced by the media. So, although the mentality of the citizens as a whole is not very likely to change, we must try with all the means at our disposal.