Based on those involved in the government in the fall of 2014, the Prime Minister at the time Antonis Samaras was troubles as to whether he should ignore the political cost and table a bill in Parliament or call elections, in hopes of winning them and being able to implement the harsh measures later, with a renewed popular mandate.

It is also said that the Governor of the Bank of Greece Yannis Stournaras was rather insistent that the measures be brought to Parliament, even if he was certain that his own MPs would vote against them.

According to Stournaras, as described by the aforementioned, in such critical situations it is best for political problems to be addressed and resolved institutionally in Parliament, rather than behind closed doors, in the background or to automatically pass on the responsibility via elections to the unassuming – or rather the lacking knowledge and gullible voters.

“It is best to fall in Parliament, rather than be dragged into an election that you have no hope of winning” was what he is said to have told the Prime Minister at the time.

As we all know, Mr. Samaras did not accept Stournaras’ exhortations and decided to call elections in January last year, which he triumphantly lost. The result was for the situation to grow worse for the country and he became isolated for a significant period.

About a year later, his successor and president of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras is facing a similar dilemma.

Many within his party are urging him to seek out a heroic exodus and avoid submitting a pension reform bill that nobody can guarantee will pass. “It is better to deny measure that we do not support and go for elections, rather than table a bill that is foreign to our beliefs” argue some officers within the governing party.

In some respect, the Governor of the Bank of Greece is giving Mr. Tsipras the same advice he gave Antonis Samaras in November of 2014.

He is calling him to do all that he cane to reach an agreement with the institutions and bring the bill to Parliament – even if he believes that his own MPs will vote against it.

We do not know what Mr. Tsipras will do, nor if he will learn from other people’s mistakes.

What is certain though is that a fourth election in such a short time will be major shock to the country and allow Mr. Schäuble to finally celebrate a Grexit.

Antonis Karakousis

Originally published in the Sunday print edition