Could the crisis have been avoided? Were the memoranda and austerity a one-way street? Luka T. Katseli recounts her experiences managing the crisis and draws useful conclusions for the future.

Was the crisis predictable? Could it have been avoided? How feasible was it to halt the market attacks and prevent our inclusion in the memorandum? Were austerity policies and the imposition of capital controls a one-way street? What are the useful conclusions for the future?

To these tormenting questions, Luka T. Katseli offers answers as a minimal contribution to the necessary public dialogue. Through the recounting of her personal experiences, three conclusions emerge: The erosion of the country’s productive base was the main cause of the crisis. Its restructuring remains the key challenge today.

The implementation of the 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015 by UN member states, serves as a compass for a long-term, progressive, and sustainable development strategy. Sustainable development cannot be left to the autopilot of the markets.

Institutional entanglements, conflicts of interest, and organizational weaknesses hinder or cancel the implementation of reforms. Establishing a reliable, modern, and smart "operational" state, away from closed circles of political influence, that will remove the entanglements and effectively serve the public interest with transparency and accountability is a priority.

When democracy is devalued, democracy takes revenge. The challenge for the progressive forces of the country is to highlight value standards capable of forging relationships of trust with citizens and the new generation of our homeland.

Although the necessity of all the above is commonly accepted, in practice, we fall behind. Ultimately, the bet will be won by our ability, at both the national and local levels, to rally innovative and socially conscious citizens, entrepreneurs, local government entities, and political leaders for the implementation of agreed upon, sustainable developmental interventions that our country so desperately needs.