A RECENT cartoon in Kathimerini, a Greek newspaper, depicts Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister, waking up in a cold sweat. “I had a nightmare!” he exclaims to his partner. “What was it?” she asks. “That I was re-elected!” he replies.
Poor Mr Tsipras. Swept to power on a wave of anti-austerity hope in January, for six months he and his leftist government captivated the world as they battled to convince euro-zone partners to lend Greece more money without the tough conditions of two previous bail-outs, saw banks forced to close and came close to losing the euro.
Today Mr Tsipras cuts a diminished figure. He capitulated before Greece’s creditors and signed a third programme under duress. The country still lives under capital controls. The economy is even more of a wreck. His party has split. The demagogue who once promised to upend Greek politics seems worn out. In calling an election on September 20th to renew his mandate, Mr Tsipras offers an awkward proposition for Greek voters: that they should choose him to implement the bail-out he denounces. Little wonder the campaign is dull. Watching this spectacle after…