The match is ready to fall

A large part of Greek society (combining various indicators and statistics, it can be estimated that it is about a third of it) is struggling to make ends meet. While in previous years poverty was linked to unemployment, today the “strong” Greek economy is largely creating new poor – people who are poor or destitute despite having a job. The indicators for poverty and social exclusion are deep red.

The situation tends to worsen as the misery is offset by daily, unabashed overconsumption with rampant corruption, while the low purchasing power of employees (due to the tacit abolition of collective agreements by powerful employers) is further undermined by the collapse of the economy and the existing health system Deterioration of public education at all levels and the lack of basic infrastructure.

Should/can something be done?

The government must stop the redistribution of income that has taken place in recent years to the detriment of work and in favor of greed and initiate a reverse redistribution.

The most important pillar in this process is tax policy. One way to achieve this is to drastically reduce VAT rates on food and some basic goods, increase taxation on profits and in particular on distributed profits (dividends), and generally increase taxation on wealth and large incomes. It’s not even about ideological and political positioning.

With the collapse of the country’s party system, feelings of injustice and anger are already leaving their political mark

See what’s happening in the rest of Europe:

In the United Kingdom, the Conservatives escaped from the black hole they had created in the country’s finances by calling new elections, much as the New Democracy government did in 2009. What does Rachel Reeves, the country’s first female finance minister, plan to do? deal with the problem? “He who has the broadest shoulders will carry the greatest burden,” she said last week. Taxes will not rise for working people, but for the rich.

But aren’t you worried about the rich fleeing to a tax-friendly country, she was asked. “If you make Britain your home, you should pay your taxes here; And under this government you will do that,” she replied categorically, indicating that the matter has been examined and the government has taken a decision after consultation.

France is afraid of its public debt, which has reached about 110% of the country’s GDP (ours, by the way, is at 158% of GDP and, if we are lucky, will fall to 131% after a decade). “The French economy is holding up, but our national debt is enormous. It would be cynical and fatal not to see it, say it and acknowledge it,” said French Finance Minister Antoine Armand of the center-right Barnier government.

To this end, he announced, among other things, additional taxes of 12 billion euros for the 440 most profitable French companies, another 2 billion euros in taxes for the 65,000 richest families and 800 million euros in taxes on shipping – i.e. on groups that are in have achieved the largest unexpected gains in history over the last two years.

And in neighboring Italy, Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has announced plans to impose a new 3.5 billion euro tax on banks and insurance companies, temporarily suspend the tax deferral scheme for banks and increase taxes on stock option bonuses to give money to public hospitals to donate and improve their services to those who need them – the most vulnerable.

In Greece, the collapse of unions and the inadequacy of opposition parties are leading state-backed interests to believe that “everything is under control.” This is delusion.

The feelings of injustice and anger are already leaving their political mark with the disintegration of the country’s party system (the main opposition party SYRIZA was the first to collapse from within, the weakest, while New Democracy appears to be next) and the steady rise of the Parties rely on absurdity and hatred. Unless the direction and pace of public affairs change, clashes within society (with all that historically accompanies it) may only be a matter of time.

The ground is flooded with gasoline, waiting for the fool to light a cigarette and throw the match.