DHAKA: When Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras won power in January, he was hailed by many as the man to revolutionize not only his country’s politics, but also those of all Europe.

Aged only 40, he is Greece’s youngest prime minister in almost two centuries. More importantly, he seemed to herald the rise of a new generation, one which took the existence of a united Europe for granted, but also wanted to refashion the continent.

Instead, Tsipras’ experiment has taken his country on a wild and largely irrelevant economic and political roller coaster which is almost certain to end in a disastrous crash when Greeks vote in a referendum scheduled for July 5. And, far from being upended, Europe’s political class has reaffirmed its grip.

The moral of the Tsipras story is that youth, good looks and shrewd tactics are still no substitute for logic and strategy.

The secret of Tsipras’ success was his ability to grab attention by playing the role of a disciplined youth in the midst of an undisciplined mob, by charting a road for those who would otherwise be going in all directions.

In 1990, when a Greek government plan to cut educational spending sparked off massive protests throughout the country’s educational establishments, it was Tsipras, then just 16, who represented the protesters in negotiations with the government.

BDST: 1259 HRS, JUN 29, 2015
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