The cost of promises

The good news is that a public discussion has started on how much the measures and benefits being announced by the political parties if they win the elections are going to cost. That said, the discussion tends to be limited to the old question: Where will the money come from? The prime minister asked as much of the main opposition party, followed closely by the alternate finance minister, Theodoros Skylakakis, saying that a report quantifying the programs announced by incumbent New Democracy and opposition SYRIZA and PASOK "would be a sign of great progress." He even said that such a report should be easy to produce, as it would be based on the 2023 budget tables.

The state is full of strange cogs and wheels. A raise of 10% in public sector salaries does not necessarily mean an increase of 10% in payroll costs

We don't know how easy it is to...