Onasagoras
The long-running saga finally came to an end today—a saga that dragged on for months in the courts, but for years in society. For those familiar with the behind-the-scenes drama and the times Odysseas’ eccentric and narcissistic behavior paralyzed the state machinery, the decision was no surprise. It’s expected that his supporters will react, but I’d recommend they judge rationally—like the judges did—and not emotionally. Perhaps they should consider the perspective of those unfairly targeted by the obsessions of the now-former Auditor General. In the end, while I respect his popularity—and thank him for the endless material he provided journalists—the role of the auditing office should be focused solely on fair, unbiased scrutiny, not chasing public favor, often bought at the expense of public funds wasted on pointless investigations.
But from this saga, which further damaged and discredited important institutions, came one positive outcome: everyone now understands the need to modernize the Auditor General's office—among other institutions—so we don’t see a repeat of situations where one person’s obsessions hold everything hostage in quixotic battles where usefulness often loses to populism. We must learn from the mistakes of the past. To Mr. Michaelides' opponents, who were quieter but certainly not fewer, I recommend avoiding any vengeful behavior. In a democracy, there are no dead ends.
Meanwhile, yesterday we also had the appointment of Kadis as the European Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries, and Oceans! What a charming and imaginative title. The truth, though, is that if the Europeans could give us a commission on another planet, they probably would. Maybe something like the commission for protecting the lakes on the moon. But since they let us into Europe, they’re obliged to hand out titles. They should’ve known better.
I took a quick dive into last night's "X" (formerly Twitter) and fished out, or rather harvested, some gems: "Kadis, the new Poseidon and lord of the Oceans. They gave us the seas because they know we’ll mess them up. Kadis is an educator, so he knows all about tones—and how to cook them." Bless the guys on former Twitter; they made me laugh in what has been a tough week for many reasons.
Of course, the police union spokesperson from "Equality" was on TV again yesterday, just as he was the day before, and as he will be tomorrow, and every other day of the year except weekends. I’ve heard him comment on nearly every conceivable topic known to mankind. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day he’s invited to talk about Buddhism, summer fashion, or cryptocurrencies. He’s the go-to commentator for anything and everything. He could easily host a morning show or even a cooking segment.
Yesterday, though, when asked about the Limassol riots, instead of providing a meaningful response, he played the same old tape: we don’t have enough officers, they’re not paid enough for overtime, etc., etc. And never mind the tens of thousands of euros we wasted on the match that never happened, and the policing (or rather, lack thereof). But, hey, the money's there.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
