Editorial: Return to normalcy

This week could be called a summer test on the return to normalcy.

A barrage of draft legislation which signals the government’s outlook and overall plan will be tabled in Parliament.

Though these bills will be passed in mid-summer they are crucial in setting the tone for the coming period.

They include bills on streamlining the state, a cut in the ENFIA real estate tax, more favourable terms for paying delinquent taxes in 120 instalments, the abolition of university asylum, and changes in the Kleisthenis local government law.

These bills distinguish the current government’s game plan from that of the previous one.

They will reform the state for the better.

They will deter and block lawlessness on university campuses.

They will assist  municipalities nationwide in getting their work done immediately.

Certainly swift work will be needed.

Luring investment, offering relief to the middle class (which is a social pillar of democracy), and ensuring the smooth and beneficial functioning of a state which until now has been Kafkaesque are the first crucial tests for the new government, which so far has exhibited the political will to turn a page for the country and its people.

The signals that all these bills will send to Greece’s partners are crucial.

They will also determine the overall course of the government’s work, which is complex as regards ensuring economic recovery and returning to the sort of normalcy that befits a European country.