Sophia Kalantzakos was one of the newest and freshest political faces of New Democracy when Kostas Karamanlis took over the reigns of government in 2004. She left her government position as Deputy Minister of Labor and Pensions when New Democracy lost the elections of 2009 to George Papandreou’s PASOK. That same year, Sophia did not only leave Government behind but a successful parliamentary career begun in 2000 to teach at New York University as Global Distinguished Professor in Environmental Studies and Public Policy. Sophia Kalantzakos’ many sides include the authorship of children’s educational books on the environment and ancient culture. Her latest book Alexandra and the Library of Alexandria was published this spring by Patakis Publishing and is entitled.
We located her in Manhattan where she teaches, writes, researches and lives with her husband and five year old daughter. She agreed to answer seven questions posed to her by Dimitris Machairidis on the other side of the Atlantic. (Διαβάστε εδώ την συνέντευξη στα ελληνικά)
Seven questions for Sophia Kalantzakos former Member of Parliament and Under Secretary for Labor and Pensions in the Karamanlis government.
Dimitris Machairidis- After governing Greece for five years (2004-2009), Kostas Karamanlis, then head of New Democracy, has yet to speak with self-criticism about his years in office that preceded today’s crisis. Do you find that he made more mistakes or more good decisions during those five years?
Sophia Kalantzakos - Hindsight is golden. Nobody in Greece wanted to believe the pressures that the economy underwent, especially with the global financial melt down of 2008. While money flowed easily and readily throughout the banking system and the markets, nobody wanted to read the fine print. Many EU partners had been overspending beyond what the Maastricht rules dictated, but the atmosphere was one of opportunity and growth. Both citizens and the business community saw high growth rates, cheap money and believed that the economy was growing and that therefore all their demands were reasonable and acceptable. There was, however, another side to things in Greece: a dysfunctional state, an ethos of tax evasion and a state induced growth which –when things got tough and the state could no longer pitch in — began to crumble because it was artificial.
Under these conditions, political parties promised voters everything and anything to gain power or remain in power. What political party do you know of that doesn’t want to have a positive appeal to the public especially when things – on the surface — seemed to be under control?
Dimitris Machairidis- When the crisis broke, Karamanlis spoke bluntly to the people of Greece about the true state of the country’s finances. The result was that both he and the party were crushed in the national election of 2009.
Sophia Kalantzakos - At that time, Karamanlis outlined the challenges, the difficulties and the sacrifices that needed to be made to avoid bankruptcy but the other parties accused him of negativity and promised better days under their rule. The climate in politics was plagued by populist rhetoric. It seems to me, however, that today these lessons have gone unheeded. The political parties are currently going to elections giving people false hope and false promises when they know full well that in June, the measures that need to be implemented will deal yet another blow to a hard struck people. I ask you then, what can we say about today, when everything has been revealedand parties continue to cling to past methods for seeking the vote?
Dimitris Machairidis- Antonis Samaras is asking the Greek people to give him enough votes so that he can govern without a coalition. With so many new parties that have been formed in recent months is the best solution to have a one party government or a coalition in order to deal with the crisis?
Sophia Kalantzakos - I don’t foresee that any one party will have enough votes to govern alone; and it makes sense. Given the difficulty of the current situation, there is no way that one party governing alone will be able to deal with. Politics today requires consensus. Therefore, I suggest that parties stop pretending that they can do this alone and instead tell the people which other parties they are willing to work with and on what terms. Anyone who doesn’t speak realistically should not be allowed to govern. And that’s that. The country cannot afford the luxury of unrealistic personal ambitions. That’s the god’s honest truth. If they can’t work together after the election, then why did they not allow Prime Minister Papademos’ government to continue its work? It was doing just fine. His coalition government could use the year and a half that remained until regular elections to help sort out the situation.
Dimitris Machairidis- Karatzaferis, Samaras, Kammenos, Bakoyannis all wishing to be Premier and all coming from New Democracy. Will the crisis continue to breed more leaders in the conservative camp or will they be able to come together to form one united whole?
Sophia Kalantzakos - Who knows what will happen in the conservative camp. It is in neeed of much repair. The whole edifice is going through a period of such decline that it may crumble like a paper tower. The important thing is that after the elections, a government may be formed that will be pro-Europe and Eurozone and will speak truthfully without mincing words.
Dimitris Machairidis- Kouvelis, Tsipras, Papariga: fratricidal comrades or a dynamic alternative to exit from the economic crisis?
Sophia Kalantzakos - All these people are more heterogeneous than those of the center right and the center left. They have different visions, different starting points and personal differences. Furthermore, I find their positions too conservative, for them to be claiming that they represent the country’s progressive forces. If they govern, Greece will sink. Europe is for us the right choice. The world problems will only multiply and any state that stands alone will be crushed. There are harder days ahead facing the international community.
Dimitris Machairidis- Kostas Karamanlis remains silent, George Papandreou swims. You on the other hand are teaching the geopolitics of Green Growth at NYU and continue to write educational books for children. Which instrument has the greatest political power, speech, the pen, silence, or exercise?
Sophia Kalantzakos - I find the question a bit humorous and a bit cutting as well. The two former leaders of the large parties have clearly stated that they will not continue to be in the front line of politics. But they are also not completely withdrawing either. There are two possible explanations for this. They may be seeking to play a pivotal role again in the near future, or they don’t want to retire completely so that their stance wont be misconstrued.
I myself am going through a creative phase in my life. I have made a principled decision to stay out of politics because at the moment there is no party structure that represents the beginning of something refreshingly new. I have no reason to repeat what I have done already for a decade. In the University, I feel rejuvenated: I am teaching, learning, and I have the opportunity to see the wider picture of events as they unfold internationally. In a healthy academic environment, I update my knowledge and open my wings. I live a quiet, intellectual life that deeply satisfies me. I feel for the anxiety that the Greek people are experiencing and I would like to contribute to finding solutions to the problems. Unfortunately, under the circumstances it doesn’t seem possible. Though things will change some following the election, I don’t foresee real transformation and change in the immediate horizon.
The current political system is on life support trying to hold on, but its time has past.
I continue to write books for children because I love stories and adventures, and believe that children are our future. They deserve to read rather than wasting their precious time watching television and playing electronic games which are all the rage now. Admittedly it helps that my daughter Alexandra who is 5, is an enthusiastic explorer and listener.
Speech is a very strong weapon together with image, especially since today we read less and are bombarded with visual images 24/7. Exercise is important for our mental and physical balance, and silence… sometimes it is golden and very loud when all around we are surrounded by noise. Therefore all in good measure!
Dimitris Machairidis- Vangelis Venizelos (the new leader of PASOK), like you, is an academic. Loucas Papademos is a technocrat: who are more preferable for the job of Prime Minister academics or technocrats?
Sophia Kalantzakos - Academic technocrats with political savvy! Today knowledge is absolutely necessary to govern and international experiences really help as well. Especially in times like these, managerial skills are greatly needed, but also perseverance and decision making power. It would also be helpful if the candidate were charismatic and showed empathy for the very difficult times facing the people. The public needs to understand that the decisions are not made by people who have been so privileged that they have no connection to life’s bitter realities.
Dimitris Machairidis- You have been living and working in New York since 2010: are you an expat or do you still feel that your return to Greece is imminent?
Sophia Kalantzakos - In 2010, I came back to New York, a city that is in fact my second home given that my mother grew up here and we visited my grandparents every summer. I also studied at Yale and Columbia and much of my own life is tied to this part of the world. I always loved New York because I am an urban person. I love the cultural life and the international flair that permeates everything here. I don’t know how things will work out. My family embraces change. In the fall, we are going to be at NYU Abu Dhabi, for example. New York is my base and a great one at that. I would like to experience a few new places outside Europe so that I can fully comprehend the geopolitical changes that are imminent. I have not cut myself off from Greece. Quite the contrary. There is no way, however, that I would choose to repeat the life I led in Greece. Politics are still in my blood. I would only partake in public life at this stage, if there were a true commitment to change. The political cycle, during which I served, is over. Only true transformation makes any sense in the 21st century. I cannot stress this enough because I know what’s coming. The debt crisis is only the beginning of the problems that will face Europeans and humanity as a whole.
Dimitris Machairidis
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