It is clear that, as Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras is facing the greatest and most critical problems a Greek government has faced in decades.
Mr. Tsipras’ problems abroad are well known. Greece is on the edge and the crisis in the relationship with Europe is escalating rather than subsiding. The end result of this crisis may be positive development or catastrophic.
The first major challenge of the new Prime Minister is to avert this catastrophe.
The second major challenge, which is not admitted, is to “manage” his party, coordinate the governing ministers, deputy ministers and other officers within the political framework, as defined by the leadership.
The new Ministerial Council had not been sworn in for 24 hours and its members began commenting on the implementation of a radical policy – according to their estimation. Mr. Tsipras had to intervene immediately and decisively after ministerial comments brought the stock market to its knees.
The list of extraordinary visions of certain SYRIZA officers includes, for example, Chinese investments in Greece. One afternoon a Minister banned the transnational agreements and the next day the Chinese ambassador was being given reassurances from Athens to pass on to Beijing.
To paraphrase Konstantinos Karamanlis, the duty of “doing well both” domestically and abroad lays with the Prime Minister, Mr. Alexis Tsipras.
Mr. Tsipras may turn out to be particularly lucky. An unexpected change of attitude in Washington may turn out to be the deus ex machina that will save Greece.
One of the eldest former Greek Ministers of Foreign Affairs stated that “for the first time an American president immediately telephoned a newly-elected Greek Prime Minister”.
Stavros P. Psycharis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition
