It is rare for a cabinet reshuffle to change political realities, or to create a sense of a general regrouping of the government.
Mr. Tsipras cabinet reshuffle yesterday did not change the situation in the government. It provoked more biting commentary than positive reactions, as the impression is that it was all about recycling political divs and maintaining balances.
The fear of disrupting balances in the economy-related ministries led to the appointment of Deputy Premier Yannis Dragasakis as Economy and Development Minister.
With the exception of Mr. Mouzalas, all the ministers were deemed successful and kept their posts.
The appointment of Mr. Fotis Kouvelis as Alternate Defence Minister, under Panos Kammenos, appears to be the swan song of the political career of the former Democratic Left (DIMAR) party leader, and one-time candidate for the Presidency of the Republic.
However, if the Macedonian naming issue triggers a rupture in the ruling coalition and Independent Greeks leader Kammenos withdraws from the government, Kouvelis will step in.
In effect, Mr. Tsipras did not wish to, or did not dare to, correct the ills in his government, and instead chose simply to replace the ministers that resigned. There is no breath of renewal and no new momentum.
Instead, we see timid exercises in personal and party balances, which only serve to highlight the predicament of the ruling party, and the limitations placed on the prime minister.
Mr. Tsipras decided to carry on until the next elections with a government, the efficiency of which has clearly been limited.
In a period in which the government needs to make strides in order to manage the exit from the bailout memorandum, as well as regional, geopolitical challenges, the prime minister remains trapped with a government of limited capabilities.
As a rule, the quality of cabinet reshuffles presages the future prospects of governments.
A government that is on a course of decline cannot regroup with small changes or transfers of individuals.
A cabinet reshuffle such as the one we witnessed yesterday simply confirms that these changes cannot reverse the climate of dissatisfaction and disappointment in society.
