27 NOVEMBER 1993, Page 32

Nasty but nice

Sir: I have just read Adam Nicolson's arti- cle on Greece CA fall from cultural grace', 13 November) with much interest. Whilst I agree that press criticism of Greece has often been over the top and hysterical, I beg to differ with Mr Nicolson in some areas.

The re-election of Pasok and Papan- dreou is the greatest disaster to have befall- en Greece since the rise of the Roman Empire, whilst the new view of Greece propagated by the press is in many respects true. Greece is corrupt, nepotistic, often childlike, incompetent, occasionally irre- sponsible, inflexible, paranoid in its rela- tions with Turkey and greedy for EEC hand-outs. That's why I love the country. I'm sure Taki would agree.

Alexander Ellis 54 Monkton Farleigh, Nr Bath,

Wiltshire