It is to the credit of ruling coalition MPs that their political reflexes led them to react to an appointment that would again deal a blow to their supposed “moral advantage”

It is to their credit that for the first time they were not dragged along by their government’s choices, that they did not attempt to explain away the unjustifiable, as they had in cases that were similar or worse than that of the nominee to head the huge EFKA social insurance organisation, who until now headed a public bureau from which he awarded himself contracts.

On the other hand, one cannot but notice that the exceeding self-confidence exhibited by cadres and MPs, and their unshakeable faith that they are on the right side of history in whatever they say or do, was succeeded by a heightened nervousness.

It is the same kind of nervousness and insecurity that one has witnessed in the past with governments that were approaching their end.

The difference between this government and previous ones is that it operated in a calm opposition atmosphere. It was not confronted with the type of furious opposition to which the current ruling party had resorted while in the opposition.

From that point of view, this government’s fatigue is unjustifiable. It is justifiable, however, in the sense that it fell below the bar of political morality that it had set itself.