Since agreeing the bailout in July, prime minister Alexis Tsipras’s judgment has come under severe scrutiny. But the older parties could offer no alternative plan for the future The initial results from Greece’s second general election this year, and its fifth since October 2009, suggest that the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has a level of political durability that few could have predicted – and that a large section of Greek society is willing to be incredibly patient with him. Today’s was the third high-stakes vote that Tsipras has won this year, after January’s elections and July’s referendum. For the past few weeks it seemed that this would be a close contest, but it turned out almost to be a walk in the park for the Syriza leader. Despite today’s impressive feat, tempered by the record low turnout, there is little for Tsipras to celebrate Continue reading...