That the bipartisan government is about to exhaust itself is clear to the naked eye. As time goes by the pressure of the many financial measures seems unbearable, the defenders of the financial policy are fewer and on the contrary, the public criticism from MPs is increasing.

The many mistakes with the ENFIA, the constant delays, as well as the slow reactions of those in charge at the Ministry of Finances have dampened the atmosphere and created an environment of generalized disapproval. The real estate tax essentially acted as a catalyst and now the camel’s back has broken, highlighting once again the political danger as a major threat to the financial stability.

Right now nobody can guarantee that the government will withstand the pressure over the autumn and winter months and will not fall victim to the panicked reactions of MPs, who are in no position to manage the trust crisis that hounds them.

Messrs Samaras and Venizelos understand the problem, they are fully aware of the circumstances and they know that before they have to deal with the presidential election, they will have to face major challenges when the budget and other critical bills are brought before the parliamentary assembly for voting.

In other words, an “accident” is lurking and can happen at any moment. More so when Tsipras announces his proposals, which – irrespective of how credible they are – will increase the pressure on the two government party MPs. The situation is exacerbated from the stance of our partners who insist upon treating the Greek effort to exit the crisis with suspicion. Up to now they don’t appear to have any intention to support and understand the Greek political problem, now have they shows that they prepared to offer solutions and breathing space to the Samaras government. On the contrary, they monotonously pose guarantee matters and intentionally delay the debt settlement. They are directly pursuing the country’s commitment, as evident by what happened in Milan, where the Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis was faced with proposals of a new bailout, which would obviously bind Greece for many more years.

It is clear that the next few months will not be easy on Samaras and Venizelos. If they do not react on time and encourage their parliamentary groups and if they do not take the necessary initiatives that will cultivate expectations of a quick exit from the crisis, the government will collapse one day for an insignificant reason, under the pressure from the lack of trust and a climate of generalized defeatism that tends to dominate.

Antonis Karakousis

Originally published in the Sunday print edition