Opinion: Ticktock for Tsipras

It is now clear that Alexis Tsipras has no majority in his own party for his policies. Greece's prime minister has increasingly relied on conservative or social democratic opposition lawmakers to supplement the votes from his fragile left-right coalition. In the past few days, government sources had stated publicly that the prime minister would lose parliamentary backing once and for all if fewer than 120 Syriza legislators were to vote for a new loan deal and the money lenders' conditions.

Now that time has come: After a marathon session in the 300-seat parliament, only 117 members of the prime minister's party voted for a new government credit bill, 32 voted against it and the others abstained. Once again, Tsipras only succeeded with the generous help of the opposition. And it gets worse. Bewildered, politicians in the opposition watched the public quarrels between individual Syriza lawmakers who repeatedly caused delays in the parliamentary session. The conservative spokesman felt that he had to remark that the legislature is not the Syriza central committee, where such internal matters are dealt with.

This situation can be viewed with an acerbic sense of humor, or one can be angered by it. People may also be reminded of the fearful example of the regime in the former East Germany, which ruled over all parties, integrated them into the government and continued this practice for years without opposition - or at least believed it had done so. Nonetheless, things cannot go on this way in Greece. Tsipras can no longer manage a party that is split into two camps: One half backs austerity, while the other organizes "battle committees" against the EU's colonialism, like now-fired Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis did.

New elections next?

The head of the opposition made a clear statement during the parliamentary debate: Starting Monday, there will be no more altruistic support for the prime minister.

Tsipras has no choice but to call new elections. He will probably not do so immediately, but toward the end of the month will likely ask for a vote of confidence. In a swift move, he could expose the dissenters in his own party and make them responsible for the failure of the first nominally left-wing government in Greece's history.

The opposition should, however, not rejoice too soon about the new elections. Although Tsipras is having a hard time explaining why he backed down only 10 days after the anti-austerity referendum in July and instead favored the once-demonized credit agreement over his original campaign promises. But, compared to the competition, Tsipras still has a decisive advantage: He is one of the few leading politicians in the country who can credibly prove that he has nothing to do with the old parties and the political clans who helped create the worst economic in Greece's recent history.

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