With a video posted on social media, New Democracy’s MP B2 West Sector of Athens, Maria Syrengela, chose to shift the discussion from an isolated personal attack to the broader and deeply disturbing phenomenon of vulgarity in public discourse. “There are times when public discourse unfortunately goes beyond all limits and in this I will not remain silent,” she said.
The aim of her intervention was to send a clear social and political message about the boundaries that should never be crossed, even in the most intense moments of political debate. “The public expression of wishes of violence or death, and even to children, is an unacceptable deviation from all boundaries of political and social culture. Dissent is a fundamental element of democracy; but targeting minors is not an opinion but an act of profound irresponsibility and inhumanity.”
“In politics there is debate, there are different opinions. There is also harsh criticism and that is perfectly normal, after all, that is what democracy is. But it should not go beyond the limits and reach vulgarity, hatred and inhumanity,” he said. But it cannot tolerate the slide into vulgarity and hatred, especially when public discourse loses all moderation and all basic humanity. “Such expressions as a mother, unfortunately, shock me deeply. And not only as a mother but also as a human being,” she says.
As she points out, such attitudes do not only offend one person, but injure the quality of public life as a whole and touch the very core of human existence. For this reason, he stresses that neither political forces nor society should remain silent in the face of such phenomena.
“Democracy is being tested every day. It is tested by how we express ourselves, how we react, how we handle political debate. I think that we politicians, because we are politicians only for the period of time that the people vote for us, but we are parents for life,” he stresses.
He also attaches particular importance to the need to treat public debate with seriousness, clarity and responsibility, without hatred and without divisions that hark back to other times.
With the video posted by Maria Syrengela, she makes an intervention with a clear social footprint. A reminder that the way we speak and react in the public space is a matter of democracy, culture and responsibility towards society.
