As we welcome the summer, quite a few interesting situations are unfolding around us. On June 25, Greece is heading to the polls for the second time in two months to elect a new government—a new government that must, as I have often written, address a series of key issues beyond the economy, which, according to analysts, is expected to continue growing through 2023 and 2024, attracting the interest of institutional investors and multinational companies.
The crucial issue that must be prioritized is the reform and transformation of state governance. We need a state with strong institutions and a modern public administration that will ensure equalitarianism and provide the best services to all its citizens, in health, housing, education, and security to name but a few. A state with the capacity to see the world as it is, today and in the future, with the insight to understand what our country truly needs and has the potential to achieve, and with the determination to identify and implement the steps for getting there.
To be clear, by state, I am not only referring to the administration but to all of us who live and work in this country. We are all part of this state; we all have rights but also obligations. As the adage goes, “A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the citizens, the more decent the state”—whether with our participation or with our toleration.
The rapid development of technology and the way humankind assimilates and utilizes it will be the central issue at stake in the coming years. We are already witnessing technology’s potential in transforming both the public and private sectors, and the pace at which we embrace and harness it will dictate the odds of competition and perhaps even survival. But it isn’t only technology we must focus on.
We are, essentially, on the cusp of the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR), which encompasses at its core harmonious collaboration between humans and machines, be they digital platforms or advanced mechanical constructions. Such harmonious coexistence entails not only harnessing the potential of emerging technologies but also making special efforts to prioritize human values, ethics and wellbeing while doing so. It is a dynamic process that requires constant adaptation, evaluation, and collaboration to ensure that the benefits of 5IR are widely distributed and that human dignity and prosperity are preserved.
As these situations unfold, are we prepared to deal with what is coming? Are we addressing these issues as we should or not? Our Chamber, as always, will continue exploring these and other important issues in its upcoming activities. Stay tuned.
ELIAS SPIRTOUNIAS
Executive Director
