Society faces a clear choice between democracy and violence, says Pavlos Marinakis, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesperson, in an article in the newspaper Parapolitika, noting that there is no longer any room for ambiguity or excuses when it comes to criminal acts.
Under the headline “Let the Masks Fall,” he emphasizes that those who plant explosive devices and resort to violence cannot be labeled “activists” or presented as agents of political expression, but are criminals; and when these acts lead to the loss of human lives “there is only one word for it: terrorism.”
At the same time, he notes that just as dangerous as the actions of the perpetrators themselves is the political and ideological tolerance that, as he points out, has for years sought to whitewash or downplay violence through various forms of rhetoric. As he characteristically points out, “tolerance is the breeding ground for lawlessness,” warning that any attempt to justify violence encourages its further escalation.
Mr. Marinakis further emphasizes that no democratic society can tolerate attacks against politicians, journalists, judges, or anyone who publicly expresses their views, stressing that “every person’s home is sacred” and that targeting a person’s family or private life constitutes an attack on democracy itself. “No democracy can survive when it condones violence,” he states emphatically.
Finally, he points out that mere, obvious condemnations following each tragic incident are not enough; rather, the consistent and unwavering application of the law is required, without ideological exceptions or concessions. In closing, he calls for “the masks to come off once and for all” and for it to be made absolutely clear that “in a democracy, there are no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ forms of terrorism,” but only criminal acts that must be addressed without exception and with absolute respect for the rule of law.
“The time has come to drop the masks once and for all. Every attempt to whitewash political violence must stop… Because when violence finds an alibi, sooner or later it seeks out its next victim,” he concludes.