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The legendary incident with famous Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis is mentioned by singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos in his autobiography: In 1979, Hadjidakis, as director of the acclaimed Third Program \u2013 the public radio station of Greece\u2019s state broadcaster ERT, which mainly broadcasts classical music and culture \u2013 is playing Savvopoulos\u2019 new 15-minute song titled \u201cA Long Zeibekiko for Nikos,\u201d which had been censored, every day. The phones at the radio station are ringing off the hook, with associates of the then minister Athanasios Tsaldaris asking the station to stop playing it. Hadjidakis is unmoved. Eventually, the minister himself calls. Hatzidakis listened to him \u201csullen, gloomy and without uttering a word.\u201d At one point he asked the minister if he was finished. And when Tsaldaris said \u201cYes,\u201d Hadjidakis responded: \u201cMinister, you are an idiot!\u201d And he just hung up the phone.<\/p>\n
In the massive farm subsidy scandal \u2013 known in Greece as the OPEKEPE scandal, from the acronym of the agency embroiled in the fraud \u2013 with the number of lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party named in the probe increasing, it becomes apparent that clientelism played a key role. There are dozens of phone calls to and fro, with dialogues repeated over time, for the \u201carrangement\u201d of requests from constituents. \u201cHe is a friend of G\u2026, 100% his man,\u201d one said. Another said, \u201cS.. will be useful to us, you should look into his issue.\u201d Even OPEKEPE\u2019s electronic system was bypassed to \u201cdo manually\u201d whatever was required. The \u201carrangements\u201d and favors were nonstop. And if any \u201clink\u201d in the chain reacted by invoking legality, he was either forced to come to his senses or was sidelined.<\/p>\n
The European Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office\u2019s new case files are extremely incriminating for the individuals involved, and forced a government reshuffle.<\/p>\n
The reference to Hadjidakis is not made to provoke often repeated comments about the stature and bravery of a unique man, but for this small key phrase at the end of that story: \u201cHe just hung up the phone.\u201d When the subordinate is left unprotected and alone but calm with his conscience that he did the right thing, which state mechanism is on his side? Why is the system of illegality, of \u201cour own people,\u201d the \u201cuseful\u201d and the \u201ccronies,\u201d so well protected, while those who refuse to obey orders that are obviously illegal remain exposed? And where does this system derive the certainty that illegality and the distortion of reality will remain invisible and unpunished?<\/p>\n
No matter how many reforms are made, no matter how many MP immunities are lifted, clientelism will continue to exist, to various degrees, depending on the times. \u201cHanging up the phone\u201d will indicate the limits and mentalities, not only of politicians but also of institutions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n