Elections in sight

Greece is in pre-election mode. You can smell it in the air. The gears of the state's machinery, which have never been fast anyway, are grinding to a halt, along with the decision-making system. Elections are not too far off, experienced players in the broader public sector - who can already be heard claiming that they have no particular party affiliation, while being on the hunt for new friends and acquaintances - are hinting.

It will be a tough campaign. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has shown himself to have great stamina and few inhibitions. He should not be underestimated. Sure, things do not seem to have been going his way over the past few months. The government's handling of the name issue with Skopje and its woeful response to the eastern Attica wildfires show that Murphy's law is at play in Maximos Mansion as fatigue grows and judgement day nears.

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