The hour of reckoning

It is with justified relief that we welcome the hour of reckoning for an extremist element that has tested Greece's institutional reflexes. Still, we must not draw the wrong political conclusions. The beliefs that stoked the attack squads will not disappear overnight because of a court verdict.

Scenes that have played out in the public sphere in recent days show there is still plenty of kindling out there.

Everyone - from the political leadership to the media and the institutions - needs to avoid the mistakes of the past that fueled such extremist groups. The element of surprise is no longer a valid excuse.