Intervention of substance

The return to normality that Greece so desperately needs will not be achieved solely by effective policing.

The truth is that it will also be achieved by interventions that, despite not being widely advertised or attracting great media attention, significantly improve the daily life of citizens in the Greek capital.

The systematic efforts of the City of Athens to spruce up neighborhoods in the center of Athens are already bearing fruit, with the recent cleanups at Kolonaki and Exarchia squares over the weekend widely welcomed. 

This work may sound relatively unimportant but the truth is it restores what was defined by Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis ahead of last year's municipal elections, as a "culture of making everyday life more civilized."