From the very first moment, the government sensitively and honestly took responsibility for the tragic accident in Tempe, and also decided to prevent its recurrence. From the frontal conflict of Greek society with what happened in Tempi and its healthy reaction of anger and pain to the unjust death of 57 people, a unanimous social demand emerges: the Europeanization of our country along with the eradication of a deep condition.

“Let’s finally become Europe. Let’s stop being ashamed of our state. Evaluate civil servants. Let’s resolve as soon as possible the decades of unresolved issues that are holding us back.”

There is nothing anti-systemic about citizens’ righteous anger over the lack of integrated “remote control systems” in trains or meritocracy and evaluation in the State, which ultimately guarantee the safety of human life. The real question, however, is who has the ideological integrity and the will to achieve it. That is, who is part of the problem and who is part of the solution? Those who just complain, or those who bring out the real causes of deep trauma?

The domestic left definitely has good ideas. But at the same time, he supports others who ultimately harm the country.

We see it in the constant complaints and denial of the real value of civil servants, security and extroversion in universities, public-private partnerships, protecting our borders and critical areas from illegal networks of human traffickers, modernizing our protection systems, changing the article. 16, which will allow recognition of the professional and academic rights of private school graduates (see artists), the smooth coexistence of protest demonstrations with the rest of social and economic life, the modernization of the EFKA and the shame in the delay in the award of pensions, which we have corrected. The list of Greek “exclusivity” in major and minor matters is long…

Things that are self-evident to the rest of the Western world, wherever there are centre-left or left-wing parties, seem unimaginable in “progressive” Greece precisely because of this timeless ideological fixation on 20th century ideas that offer no solution in the 21st century. But the fixation that keeps us apart from the rest of Europe the longer it lasts.

In the last 3.5 years alone, SYRIZA and PASOK have voted against at least 12 important laws that provide for assessment, targeting, internal controls, salary incentives, special training, as well as stronger disciplinary procedures and sanctions for those public servants who do not are doing their job. Fine . They voted against them because they don’t see the policy as “progressive”.

There is nothing anti-systemic in the righteous outrage of citizens about the lack of integrated “remote control systems” in trains or meritocracy and evaluation in the State.

But how will the state change without these tools? We may be accused of having to implement them even faster. Because we received a remote control system that was “frozen” already in 2017 by 18% and reached 70% a few months before its final delivery. But what happens to those who do not believe and cannot even implement this policy?

If we want to get to the bottom of the problem of national underdevelopment, we will become a state when we are able to diagnose our problems without yesterday’s right or left labels, in order to make the digital leap that is already taking place, but also the necessary leap in quality, in responsibility, in the accountability of those who works in the state.

Little known, but thanks to this policy, 12,000 new civil servants will be hired not on the basis of formal qualifications, but on the basis of ASEP’s rigorous psychometric and cognitive tests (conducted in early March) in order to practice “the right person in the right position”. 25,000 new teachers will become permanent only after passing the relevant special certification for the first time. 400,000 civil servants are now required to participate in special training and retraining programs funded by Greece 2.0. 300 specially trained and certified internal auditors of the public administration went to work to check the execution of tasks, internal processes and the quality of critical public services.

Along with the gov.gr digital revolution that we are already undertaking, there are major changes in the state’s human resources that should eradicate what we have unfortunately seen in Tempi due to the unacceptable culture of irresponsibility and the little effort we have all endured with time – at the same time and the political and trade union leadership. If there’s anything we need, it’s more evaluation and more “state of the staff” in terms of goal setting, planning, continuous evaluation. No less.

The opinion that pathologies are fate is deeply conservative. We do not compromise with this Greece. That is why we must decide on a more meritocratic, but also more rational organization of the state, so that it can better fulfill its task: to guarantee sustainable prosperity and security for all citizens.

And that is why we must never forget what happened at Tempe and why it happened. After all, “truth” etymologically means “do not forget.” To serve him, our memory must not be filled with convenient lies that serve one side or the other but ultimately shorten national identity. Greece must make a leap forward. That’s why he needs the right ideas and the right leaders who know, want and can do it.

* Mr. Akis Skertsos is the Minister of State.