Alexis Tsipras promised to overturn austerity and move Greece out of the troubled waters that it was in. So even though the Greek voters are surely frustrated with the situation, both politically and economically, Tsipras will remain their first choice”, Odendahl says.
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The popular mandate Tsipras received in the general election on January 25 “has run its course”, he said, acknowledging that the deal Athens reached with Greece’s creditors was not what he wanted, but the best he could get.
Syriza members have argued that the party should aim for a majority, saying this would achieve the stable government which Greece has lacked through the past five years of crisis.
Lafazanis, who was replaced in the July cabinet reshuffle after voting against the agreement Tsipras signed with Greece’s worldwide creditors, leads the defecting MPs who denounce the government’s U-turn on initial pledges to tear up bailouts and put an end to austerity policies. Party leader Vangelis Meimarakis has vowed to do all he can to create a government, “in order to avoid, at this moment, all the negative effects that this election could create for a very long time”, he said.
However, he said, “the downside of new elections is that they will slow the implementation of measures”.
Rebels from Greece’s governing left-wing Syriza are to break away and form a new party, according to the BBC.
“Now that this hard cycle has ended…”
“I will go the president of the republic shortly to submit my resignation, as well as the resignation of my government”, Tsipras said in a televised address before meeting Mr Pavlopoulos.
What the 41-year-old delivered were the most severe cuts to date, attached to an 86 billion euro bailout following sufficient sabre rattling from Europe’s big beasts to convince Tsipras a eurozone exit was a possibility.
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“We respect Mr. Tsipras decision, but I can’t help feeling it’s a bit cynical timing to do it immediately after the first disbursement”, Kažimír said in a tweet. Because most current opposition parties also support the bailout, Tsipras should have little trouble forming a coalition willing to implement the deal’s terms.
