"The real problem for Greece does not lie in tax evasion or in the country?s soaring national debt. These are merely the results of deepening social decay in Greece during the last forty years. To get to the heart of the issue, one needs to go back to the fall of the military junta, which ruled from 1967 to 1974, and examine how Greek society was reformed."
[snip]
"Gradually, Greeks changed their mind-set. Instead of adhering to virtues such as meritocracy and social justice, they began to pursue easy money. From the early 1980s until the eruption of the 2010 crisis, Greeks were living their myth, as cheap EU money was flowing, corruption was socially acceptable, and consumption and tax evasion were driving the economy.
The majority of Greeks sought public-sector jobs in which unreasonably high salaries and a lack of accountability were common practices, as labor unions dominated public administration. Others would establish their own businesses and would maximize their profits through tax evasion?or, alternatively, they would do business with the government and benefit from corruption and their political connections.
In parallel, governments showed irrational fiscal irresponsibility and populism to gain sympathy with voters, while the population turned a blind eye as this was a win-win situation for everyone. The EU also tolerated social decay in Greece, for geopolitical and economic reasons.
Therefore, almost two generations of Greeks have been raised with the perception that their country is a special case, and that corruption, tax evasion, and cheating should be not only tolerated but even rewarded. Some sporadic initiatives to change the situation were unsuccessful, and those who attempted to do so were marginalized."
[snip]
"But what is even worse is that most Greeks do not even try to change their country and hence their life. The reason for this is that despite the painful austerity measures and tax rises, no serious attempt has been made to change the way Greeks perceive their relationship with the state. They pursue their own interests and ignore any negative impact on the economy, in a clear signal that even now, they do not realize what is at stake for them.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that, despite measures that have been introduced since 2010, the crisis has been escalating. It is now imperative that Greece and its European partners focus on issues such as building new moral norms and reforming the education and justice systems.
Five years after the economic crisis erupted, Greece again faces the danger of political crisis and economic collapse. All competent parties should realize that it is of the utmost importance to start the long and painful process of addressing the overarching problem in Greece: the social crisis that has been going on for almost forty years. That is the only hope for Greeks."
