Though still young, Tsipras did not see the change

The absence of a clear policy cost SYRIZA and Alexis Tsipras dearly in the last election. In the past, vagueness had been one of the party’s strengths.

In 2015, Tsipras led his party to three successive victories (two elections and a referendum), as each voter read what they wanted into his general promise to “abolish the memorandum.”

Since then, though, Tsipras appeared unable to escape the trap of bad choices in aides, his inability to shape a specific policy and excessive belligerence in political statements.

In the last elections, as in previous years, while his party sought a path among the choices of a more left-wing policy, social democracy and social movements, Tsipras concentrated on attacking Kyriakos Mitsotakis instead of shaping an alternative proposal for the country’s future. He chose the field of battle on which he lost. 

With his personal charisma, loads of self-confidence and his easy march to the top, perhaps Tsipras was incapable of conducting a different policy. It was as if he saw the world through the distorting lens of an oversimplified clash between Left and Right. He even seemed to use the Prespes Agreement to put Mitsotakis in a difficult position (knowing that hardliners in New Democracy would oppose a compromise on the Macedonia issue), rather than presenting it as a significant diplomatic achievement in its own right. However, when he had no choice, he could show flexibility and determination.

The critical moment in his term as prime minister was the referendum of 2015. That was when he realized belatedly that he could not shoulder the burden of leading the Greeks out of the eurozone. He chose to ignore the people’s vote – and they agreed with him, renewing his mandate to govern in another election. Forming a coalition with Panos Kammenos’ nationalistic right-wing Independent Greeks confirmed the lack of clarity in Tsipras’ political identity and his cynicism: The only things the two men had in common were their “anti-memorandum” rage and a mutual need to support each other so as to gain power.

After having rocked Europe with his initial term as prime minister, Tsipras later cooperated with the troika to keep Greece on its European course. He also improved ties with the United States. In opposition, though, he reverted to exaggerated criticism, easy promises and a confused message. His dominance in the party did not allow it to evolve. Even though still young, Tsipras did not realize that the world was changing – and voters’ needs with it.