Chapter 147 Reform

On July 5, Constantine personally visited the prime minister's palace in order to persuade Alexandros.

"Now, all the contradictions in society have been intensified," Constantine stated, looking at the Prime Minister with a solemn face.

"It is now clear that the Greek government must carry out reforms."

In the previous war, if it were not for the help of Congo and relying solely on Greece's own strength to defeat the Ottoman Empire, it would be simply wishful thinking.

The feeling of carrying out military adventures with no confidence in the fate of the country is an unforgettable torment for the military chief.

Therefore, after the war, Constantine had ideas about reforms.

"Your Highness, could this public opinion turmoil be secretly directed by the royal family?" Alexandros asked tentatively.

There was no warning before this turmoil broke out, and it suddenly became known to people. It may not be a political conspiracy.

"Are there any benefits for the royal family to do this?" Constantine explained.

Constantine himself was belatedly aware of this crisis.

King George did not grant the Prime Minister the right to censor news because he was aware of the widespread dissatisfaction in society and did not dare to take drastic actions to cause large-scale chaos.

"Besides, the royal family does not have that much energy to mobilize all newspapers to build public opinion."

"Is it the bourgeoisie that is controlling public opinion?" Alexandros speculated.

If it is the bourgeoisie, according to their energy, they can really achieve the current position.

In recent years, with the development of Greek business and trade, the strength of the Greek bourgeoisie has grown rapidly.

These people have been dissatisfied with the government for a long time.

In order to solve the financial crisis, the government naturally has to start with middle- and high-income earners. For those middle- and lower-class people in Greece, the government will not be able to make any profit anyway.

It is natural for the Greek bourgeoisie to take action.

"The greater possibility is that everyone is dissatisfied," Constantine analyzed.

"The reasons for the dissatisfaction of the army are very clear."

"The reason why people in the middle and lower classes are dissatisfied is very simple: they are under too much pressure to pay taxes."

The middle and lower classes account for most of the Greek government’s tax revenue.

"Factory owners, bankers, and other middle- and high-income earners naturally want to express themselves politically as their economic power increases."

"Especially factory owners and bankers"

"Actually, you know it very well, don't you?"

Alexandros was expressionless, but he understood what Constantine was saying.

In the current Greek government, there is a popular distribution system between political parties - during the election campaign, in order to attract everyone's efforts, the top leaders of each party make wishes and promises of benefits.

After his successful election, the Prime Minister placed his cronies in various positions in the government with the stroke of a pen.

Under this system, officials have no professional qualities at all - they don't understand government affairs to begin with, and they naturally know nothing about official affairs after successful speculation.

Moreover, since the term of the prime minister is limited, these officials who finally got to the position naturally seize the time to make money. They have the right to use it and it will become invalid after expiration.

Every once in a while, due to changes in the prime minister, almost all public offices from top to bottom of the government are replaced. Not only does the government become paralyzed, but the well-fed wolf leaves, and another group of hungry wolves comes, and the cycle repeats endlessly.

Civil servants are paid well, have fewer things to do, have long vacations, and can get extra gray income from time to time. Who doesn't like this kind of job?

If you want to obtain public office, no matter how big or small, you must join a political party, otherwise you will have no chance.

For example, according to common sense, the chief of police in Athens should be an experienced person.

In fact, for such an important position, every time a new prime minister takes office, he must be replaced by one of his confidants.

As for whether his professional ability meets the requirements of the police chief, that is not important. What is important is that he is loyal to himself and his party.

As a result, the current police in Athens are all sycophants and have no ability to handle criminal cases, which is criticized endlessly.

This fat-sharing system has led to rampant corruption and a smoky atmosphere in the government, making it impossible to talk about safeguarding national interests.

Not to mention that society is dissatisfied with the government, even the military has complaints.

When Trikupis was Prime Minister, due to his outstanding political achievements, deep prestige and long-term tenure, there was an endless stream of "job seekers" following him.

At present, almost all employees in the Greek government are appointed by Trikoupis.

Alexandros himself received the political legacy of Trikupis before he could successfully assume the post of prime minister.

Those public officials appointed by Trikupis naturally supported him in order to secure their positions.

"Hey, I also understand the shortcomings of the government, but this cannot be changed in a hurry," Alexandros said in embarrassment.

Although he called for reform in parliament, it was only a trial.

Everyone worked together to push him to the throne of prime minister. But now, if he seeks reform, will he have to break with them?

If he carries out drastic reforms and touches everyone's interests, his political life will end quickly.

"Now things have come to this."

"The choice is no longer up to you," Constantine admonished.

"If you hesitate and fail to make up your mind, according to the current situation, His Majesty may forcibly remove you from the position of Prime Minister," Constantine threatened.

"What?" Alexandros was surprised.

For a long time, King George did not interfere in government affairs unless necessary.

King George's attitude towards the current reform requirements is so tough.

Alexandros thought carefully: Now he has only two choices. First, openly break with the party members cultivated by Trikupis during his tenure, actively reform and eliminate malpractices.

Even if he succeeds by chance, it will affect his political life.

The second is to resign decisively, hand over this mess to others to solve, save himself, and look forward to the future.

Looking at the hesitant Alexandros, Constantine continued: "Although this is a crisis, it is also an opportunity."

"If you can successfully reform, even if your term is short, you will be an effective Greek prime minister."

"Moreover, you will get the full support of the army and the royal family!"

Constantine's last words were like a heavy bomb.

Alexandros's eyes shot out sharp eyes, staring at Constantine and said: "Your Highness, are you serious?"

In fact, there is no doubt about whether the government should reform.

Even the reform goals have ready-made examples to imitate-the British civil service system.

The reason why Alexandros was hesitant was not entirely because he was worried about his political life.

What he really worried about was that the so-called reform was just a test.

What if the unrest caused was too great, the government could not step down, and used him as a scapegoat to calm the public anger-those who were dissatisfied with the status quo and demanded reforms, and those whose interests were damaged in the reforms.

If the reform failed, it would burn itself.

It doesn't matter if it's mean or not, at that point, this is the best choice.

Alexandros is not a political rookie to become prime minister, and politics is not a place for impulsiveness.

Good intentions do not mean that things can be accomplished.

And now, the army fully supports the reform, and this weight has quickly tilted the scale in his heart.

This means that the royal family has really made up their minds and is willing to use their prestige in the army to force reforms.