This piece of good news comes compliments of the Council of Europe’s publication Eurobarometer. And not only this, but a glance at the statistics show that Greeks are getting more optimistic every year. Simple calculation shows that at this rate of increase, Greeks will be one hundred percent optimistic by 1990, thus including members of small political parties, owners of medium-sized commercial enterprises and big businessmen.
How is one to account for this phenomenon? A number of queries come to mind:
The joys of socialism? This, of course, is the first question that leaps into one’s head, but the publication’s statistics cast a shadow of doubt. Sharing the same joys, the French under M. Mitterrand have tied with the Belgians as the most pessimistic people in the EC. So, unless one follows the proposition that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, one shall have to look elsewhere for an answer.
The low inflation rate? Although the current estimated eighteen percent inflation is a bit lower then last year, it is still a good deal higher than any other EC member. In January alone, petrol, cheese and plane tickets (to pick items at random: the choice is broad) rose sharply. Furthermore, there was a hike in the price of the three stuffs which, grouped together, may be said to constitute the Greek staff of life: namely, bread, cigarettes and – God help us – water.
The lack of strikes? Unlikely. In January nearly everyone in Athens was on strike, though most notably taxi drivers, bank personnel, doctors and bakers.
The high quality of services? Probably not. There is general disagreement as to whether the depth of the potholes in the city is greater than the height of the uncollected garbage sacks, or the other way about.
The sound state of the economy? Dubious. During the third week in January the drachma reached an all-time ‘high’ of 131.8 to the dollar. Meanwhile there was the unnerving news that many of the dollars circulating in Athens (and the brisk black market price for them is considerably higher) were forged. The only possible solace here is that even counterfeit dollars may be worth more than real drachmas.
That Athens has been declared the cultural capital of Europe this year? Maybe yes, maybe no. Composer Yiannis Xenakis’ * ‘Many-dimensional Athens” – the multimedia ‘celebration of the century* – has recently come under fire from archaeologists who fear that the helicopter ballet over the Acropolis may cause damage to the monuments. Nor has the government finally agreed, Mr Xenakis’ request that the Greek army be on hand to assist as stage hands is quite at odds with Mr Parandreou’s latest military ‘dogma’ which has the armed forces not facing Athens but the East. Furthermore, the Xenakis detailed screenplay states that the perfoming helicopters at the end of their act “will suddenly disappear.” This is hardly compatible with Mr Arsenis’ tight budget which, having provided with difficulty for ‘the purchase of the century’, can hardly afford a ‘second purchase of the century.’
The imminent completion of the Athens metro? Impossible. The new plans which connect the underground inner city system with the above ground outer city one is certainly impressive. A scenario now exists which has these systems hooking up with the Spata International Airport in 1996. This will be a fine thing, given of course that the government – or governments – remember during this interval to build one. As one of the first news items ever published in this magazine (circa A.D. 1974) announced that work on the metro was about to begin – and nothing has got beyond the drawing board stage since then – this project will most likely become ‘the purchase of the 21st century.’
But that doesn’t make any difference. Since we’re all optimists, we know we have lots of centuries ahead of us. Whatever may be said for Karl Marx and Reaganomics, when it comes to progress we know that Charles Darwin is on our side. It just takes a little longer.
What is it, then, that makes Greeks optimistic? Is it something that is part and parcel of the DNA in Greek life? If so, this may explain why it has had a longer life than any other country in the European Community. Reading the small print in the Eurobarometer survey, however, there is a subtle shift in emphasis, for the question put to citizens of EC countries was, “Do you think things will get better in 1985?” If, by chance, they thought that things couldn’t get worse, then, logically, the answer is, “Yes, things can only get better.”
