The debate about whether the cross of preference as a voting system is to blame for clientelism in Greece is not new. The dilemma between direct democratic legitimacy and the party-list system, which would cut the cord between voter and MP, has been raised for decades in the public domain.
There are examples of mixed formulas – of using both systems – that have been successful in other European democracies, and could be tried in Greece, too. It is an issue on which all responsible political forces could find common ground.