The political system appears to have left behind its divisive practices and to have turned a page after the 7 July parliamentary elections.

That was demonstrated in the cordial climate during the handover of power in the PMs Office and in ministries, as well as in the broad consensus in electing the Parliament Speaker with an unprecedented 283 votes in the 300-member legislature.

One can only imagine how differently Greece would have dealt with the crisis if the political system had exhibited the same spirit of maturity back then and if it had forged the sort of consensus one saw in fellow-bailout countries Cyprus and Portugal.

The point of pondering this hypothetical question is not to rewrite history but rather to argue that there should be a substantial follow-up on these symbolic but important gestures of political culture.

That does not mean that the opposition should abandon its role of checking government power.

Checks and nihilism, however, are two different things.  Exercising the role of the opposition in a constructive manner and maintaining a civilised level of political dialogue is one thing and engaging in a sterile opposition that aims at social unrest is quite another.

The country needs the calm that consensus can guarantee because consensus is the key to progress.

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