Syriza

Five months after the European Parliament and a large number of EU countries decided to recognise Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela, Greece under the new government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis has followed suit.

Greek President Prolopis Pavlopoulos returned unsigned the two presidential decrees on the appointment by the previous SYRIZA government of the new prosecutor and president of the Supreme Court.

Since the decrees were not signed by the president, they are considered null and void and therefore are not binding for the government of New Democracy.

Interpreting New Democracy's victory as punishment for Syriza's failure to deliver on its anti-austerity promises, many correspondents were quick to draw lessons for anti-establishment populists of all persuasions.

Citizens' Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis confirmed the resignation of Greek Police (ELAS) chief Aristides Andrikopoulos Wednesday, stressing that appointments in the force will be based purely on merit.
Andrikopoulos had sparked controversy after he was seen at a pre-election rally organized by leftist SYRIZA in late May.

Public Power Corporation (PPC) chief Manolis Panagiotakis stepped down on Wednesday as chairman and chief executive officer of troubled state utility, tendering his resignation to new Energy Minister Costis Hatzidakis, saying that his decision aims to "make it easier for the government to implement its policy."

It will take a couple of months before we see what kind of style SYRIZA plans to adopt in its reprised role as the country's main opposition party. For the time being at least, it appears willing to cut some slack to the new government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. 

It's a cliche but it's true: Greece needs a good opposition just as much as it needs a good government.

After waiting three years, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is finally Greece's prime minister. His New Democracy party swept to power in legislative elections on Sunday, commanding a wide and comfortable majority over Alexis Tsipras' SYRIZA.

The Public Power Corporations' President and CEO, Manolis Panagiotakis, submitted his resignation today at a meeting with newly-appointed Environment and Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis.

At the request of the minister Panagiotakis has reportedly agreed to stay on in his post pending the appointment of a successor.

The easy bit is over for newly elected Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis - at least as regards beating SYRIZA and forming a majority New Democracy government. Up until a couple of months ago, these were not things that could be taken for granted, regardless of what some people now claim.