The general strike on Thursday has shaken the SYRIZA-led coalition government, as it is directly faced with the dilemma of insisting upon the implementation of the bailout agreement or giving in to voter demands to enter a new round of reservations and delays.
Government officials have insisted and assured that the implementation of the bailout program is a priority, even on critical and difficult issues such as the controversial pension system reform.
The Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras appears to have focused his efforts on two goals: completing the first bailout program review and addressing the refugee crisis. This was also the message sent by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in London, where she urged the Greek PM to complete the review in order to address the refugee crisis.
With the Prime Minister facing serious problems domestically, he will focus on the country’s international affairs. The hope is that the consensus from abroad will affect correlations in Greece, so that an agreement can be reached on the pension system reform.
Although the opposition parties in Greece do not have any clear plans themselves on the reform, they are unlikely to support the government in Parliament, which may perpetuate the sense of insecurity in Greece.
