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The SYRIZA-Independent Greeks government copied every single one of the populist ills with which post-dictatorship Greek democracy was fraught.

The odd couple in the SYRIZA-Independent Greeks coalition appears to be interested only in its own survival. It is indifferent to the consequences of its actions on the country.

The Prime Minister in parliament was out of control. He counter-attacked by  brandishing the front-pages of Ta Nea and To Vima, targeting owner Evangelos  Marinakis

What made the PM lose his composure on the day of such a triumph (rescinding legislated pension cuts)? More directly, why is Alexis Tsipras annoyed? 

“I received visits from Mr. Petsitis in his official capacity as the representative of the services of Maximos Mansion (the PM’s office).”

Was there a transfer of illegal campaign and other contributions in order to serve Lavrentiadis?

It is legitimate for the prime minister not to like revelations. It is undemocratic, however, to target particular media outlets, the same media which in the past government members attempted to control or even shut down.

The targeting of the media was and is the foundation of the PM’s political career. Like many other populist leaders, it was and is his fervent desire to control and subjugate the press.

The PM’s remarks were widely viewed as a bid to calm the public and MPs who were positive about ratifying the accord but expressed second thoughts.

'It [Cyprus] being drawn into U.S. and NATO plans in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East will inevitably lead to dangerous and destabilising consequences for Cyprus itself,' warned the Russian Foreign Ministry.

With non-papers and official statements it expresses its views on a wide variety of issues, often with language not befitting the office that he holds.

When Mr. Tsipras cannot persuade his coalition partner to stop shrieking and making nationalist pronouncements, he cannot demand unconditional opposition support.

Neither Athens nor Skopje confirmed reports that Greece wants to add under UN auspices a protocol clarifying the correct interpretation of the accord’s provisions on language.

Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov has demanded that Skopje make clear that it has no claims as regards a “Macedonian language” in Bulgaria (Sofia says it is a Bulgarian dialect).

Greece from the viewpoint of international investment capital remains marginal.

In failing to protect universities, the state proves that it is essentially unable to protect academic freedom. In ignoring the pleas of the academic community, the state is failing to uphold basic rights.

The PM accused the media (including this newspaper) of scare-mongering and stirring fear when he was seeking power .

It was first in Greece that supercilious political forces of imprudence, self-deception, and illusion won the day.

Putin aggressively denied any intervention in Greek domestic affairs, of which then foreign minister Kotzias had openly accused Moscow.

Greece has a strong identity and knows how to behave calmly and prudently in the Balkan tinderbox.