The Poly-Papadopoulos

In the five years since he led a colonels' coup against Greece's last elected government, George Papadopoulos, 52, has become a poly titled politician. He is Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Defense Minister and Minister of Government Policy. Indeed, he holds so many titles that Greeks have begun to joke about it: Papadopoulos is sitting alone at his desk, resting his head in his hands, when first one aide, then another, finally a third bursts in. "Can't you leave me in peace?" Papadopoulos screams in anger. "Can't you people see that I'm holding a Cabinet meeting?"

Last week the poly-Papadopoulos added another title. He brusquely de posed General George Zoitakis, who had been Regent and acting head of state since King Constantine fled the country following an unsuccessful countercoup. The ouster of Zoitakis was voted unanimously by Greece's 17-member rubber-stamp Cabinet last week, ostensibly because the Regent had refused to approve a new law increasing personnel in the security forces and national fire department. Within half an hour Papadopoulos had been "requested" to succeed the general as Regent. Under pictures of Constantine and his Danish-born Queen Anne-Marie, Greece's undisputed strongman took an oath upon a gold-embossed Bible to uphold King, constitution and country. While a surprised Zoitakis was being notified of his dismissal, Papadopoulos accepted congratulations from the Cabinet. "Incidentally," he informed them, "you can still call me Mr. Prime Minister."

Mr. P.M.'s moves and reasons baffled Greeks. The official justification for Zoitakis' dismissal was ludicrous. It was far more likely that he was dumped because he had criticized Papadopoulos for failing to curb Cyprus' Archbishop Makarios (TIME, March 13), and because he had become a magnet for younger officers disillusioned over the ravenous Papadopoulos reach for power. Another reason, insiders whispered, was that Papadopoulos--despite his oath last week--intends to dethrone Constantine completely and cut off the generous allowance that permits the handsome King to live comfortably in Rome. Sooner or later, it is believed, Papadopoulos will try to thwart international criticism of his dictatorship by creating a new republic with himself as President and by writing a new constitution that would restore "disciplined democracy"--without a King or freewheeling anti-Papadopoulos parties.

Last month pro-regime newspapers, in an obvious attempt to measure Constantine's popularity, inexplicably published editorials calling for a review of "crown democracy" and even for abolishing the crown. Technically, such talk is treasonous, but no legal action was taken against the newspapers. New drachmas have been minted carrying the King's image; but in place of his coat of arms, the obverse side of the coin depicts the phoenix emblem of the revolution. The word royal has been dropped from military designations and the titles of almost all civil institutions. The next step, many Greeks predict, is for Papadopoulos to decree the monarchy dead.

To the average Greek, such a change at the top will have little practical effect; after five years of dictatorship, life has become a tolerable mixture of good and bad. The harsh rule that followed the '67 coup has largely lifted; political arrests have declined, martial law has been eased, and military courts hear fewer cases. Price increases on staples have been held down by government fiat, and per capita income has almost tripled in the past twelve years as a result of heavy tax-revenue investments in industry, farming, shipping and tourism.

Joy in Himself. Many democratic-minded Greeks resent the open U.S. support of the Papadopoulos dictatorship. Last month Washington gave further evidence of its acceptance of his regime by negotiating for home-port rights in the bays near Athens for the Mediterranean-based Sixth Fleet. In addition, the Nixon Administration is trying to persuade Congress to up military aid to Greece from about $90 million to $118 million.

With the U.S. convinced that a stable non-Communist government in Greece is essential to the security of NATO'S southern flank, and with his political enemies dispirited or exiled, Papadopoulos would seem to be reasonably secure. But is he happy? No Greek, of course, would ponder the question openly. Lecturing in Athens last week, West German Novelist Gunter Grass was willing to do so. "I went to Delphi today," Grass observed. "The oracle suggested that only when Prime Minister Papadopoulos, in his role of Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regent, also becomes the Archbishop of Athens will he resemble God and take joy in himself."

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