Two eurozone member states are now being led temporarily by technocrats: Italy has appointed Mario Monti, a former banker, a former European Commissioner and economist to clear up the mess left by the Berlusconi administration; Greece also has a former banker, Lucas Papedemos, who leads a government of national unity with the aim of dragging the country out of the mire it is in.

Technocrats will at least tell us the plain truth- John Cassar White

The reactions to these new developments were varied. Many argued that it is ironic that after the world economy was wrecked by bankers, we are now resorting again to these same people to get us out of the current economic slump. Both Monti and Papademos, however, have an impeccable reputation and are respected by most politicians across the whole political spectrum.

The political class in Italy and Greece, especially those who until recently were responsible for leading their country, showed mixed reactions: some shed crocodile tears about the “suspension of democracy”, while others threatened that they could pull the plug of the technocratic governments that replaced them whenever they liked. So what do these developments in the political field tell us about today’s democracy?

I believe that democracy is not an absolute value. If a so called democratic regime fails to deliver the goods that people have a right to expect, then one is justified in challenging the value of democracy. What most people want, whether living in western democracies or in autocratic countries, is that their leaders provide them with a decent quality of life, and that these leaders use taxpayers’ money to maximise the economic and social returns for the good of society.

Western parliamentary democratic systems have serious limitations, even if admittedly they are the best system implemented so far to manage the affairs of state. Ordinary people are asked once every four or five years to decide the party or parties that they want to lead them. This is indeed a democratic exercise that however only represents a snapshot of what people want at a defined period in time. They then have to live with the consequences of that decision for the next four or five years.

If the parties elected in a particular election fail to deliver or, even worse, mess up the lives of people who are affected by their mismanagement, they still have a right to hang on to their seats of power until the next electoral test becomes due.

What is even more disconcerting is the blatant attempt by some parliamentary majorities to buy parliamentary support with crooked means as was evident in the last two years of the Berlusconi government.

One particular Member of Parliament elected in the name of an opposition left wing party saw the light at a particular point in time when the Berlusconi government risked losing an important parliamentary vote of confidence. This left-wing MP decided to act “responsibly” by switching sides and supporting the government. This came after the Italian government that was elected with a landslide majority in 2008 lost an important group of MPs who were fed up with the sex and financial scandals in which the Prime Minister was involved while the Italian economy was wallowing in stagnation.

So, when political leaders fail to deliver the goods, I see no reason why politicians should not step aside and give a chance to technocrats to repair the damage and give a chance to people to rekindle their hope in the future. If one were to ask ordinary people whether they prefer the mellifluous rhetoric of dysfunctional politicians or the hard talk of gray but effective technocrats, I am sure that most of us would opt for the latter – especially in times of economic crisis.

It is a sad reality that in many European countries there is an acute crisis of political leadership that is being reflected in the inept way the debt crisis is being tackled. The risk of the eurozone being dismantled is a distinct possibility that up to some years ago was considered as a most unlikely prospect except by some diehard eurosceptics.

I see a better appreciation of democracy in the actions of the indiganados than in the empty talk of some eurozone leaders who, while professing their commitment to the euro, are more interested in limiting electoral damage to their short-term political prospects than doing what it takes to pull their countries from the brink of economic meltdown. Technocrats will at least tell us the plain truth.

jcassarwhite@yahoo.com