The thread that was cut at Tempe

Let's be serious, what this country really needs is not another election, but rather a responsible government and a constructive opposition that can demonstrate to voters their readiness to govern effectively when the next general election comes around.

The conservative administration failed to grasp the seriousness of the Tempe railway crash for ordinary Greeks. It sought refuge in attributing the incident to "human error" and dismissing it as something that can happen anywhere at any moment. It deemed that its election victory would wipe out the anger.

It was wrong, because every Greek parent identified with those who rightly expected that their children would safely arrive at their destination.

Subsequent journalistic investigations revealed that the human mistake was the result of systemic shortcomings, corruption, and mismanagement.

Yet, the...