The end of political totems

Like it or not, we are firmly at a point when the all-powerful political leaders and parties of the type that emerged in the wake of World War II and up to 2010-11 are a thing of the past.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, for example, may prove to be a long-distance runner but he will never be an "Andreas" - as the late leader of the PASOK socialists, Andreas Papandreou, a highly influential figure after the end of the 1967-1974 dictatorship, is popularly referred to.

The absence of such figures is not just a matter of personality or qualifications. These are simply different times. Our society would never accept such political totems. No political party would tolerate the management model Papandreou imposed in PASOK. The cartel of big-time publishers and entrepreneurs who could cultivate or protect such legends is in decline and made irrelevant by the relentless...