Anti-austerity demo in Thessaloniki, Greece

Anti-austerity demo in Thessaloniki, Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

A cover for a book yet to be written

A cover for a book yet to be written, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Everything you want to know about the relationship between Greece'smedia and its political rulers.

Everything you want to know about the relationship between Greece's media and its political rulers., a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Greece. The green shoots of recovery

Greece. The green shoots of recovery, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Greek pensioner scavenging among rubbish on a Saturday afternoon, just before the city's central market closes for the weekend.

Greek worry beads

Greek worry beads, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Οι νοσταλγοί της χούντας - Greek junta still has its admirers

Οι νοσταλγοί της χούντας - Greek junta still has its admirers, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

The picture here shows Giorgos Papadopoulos, the head of the junta. From 1967 - 1973 this brutal military dictatorship ruled Greece with an iron fist, some it seems still look back with nostalgia on those days.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_military_junta_of_1967%E2%80%...

A storm is coming - Greece

A storm is coming - Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Protesting Greek firefighters - Thessaloniki, Greece

Protesting Greek firefighters - Thessaloniki, Grecee, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

With Greece's creditors demanding still more cuts in public spending in return for the next installment of bailout money, more and more public sector workers are protesting over cuts in wages which are dragging more and more more of those in employment into poverty.

Even while incomes shrink and unemployment grows Greece still remains one of the most expensive countries in the EU for everyday goods and services according to Eurostat.

"Gays out of Thessaloniki" Shout Christian demonstrators at city'sfirst Gay Pride Parade - Greece

"Gays out of Thessaloniki" Shout Christian demonstrators at city's first Gay Pride Parade - Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Part of a protest that answered the call of the local Greek Orthodox bishop, Anthimos.

In the end just 30 people responded to Anthimos's crusade,a sharp contrast to the 2000 odd who attended the Gay Pride Parade.

Alexis Tsipras back stage at a SYRIZA campaign rally

Alexis Tsipras back stage at a SYRIZA campaign rally, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Taken as Tsipras was waiting to go to address a campaign rally in the northern port city of Thessaloniki.

SYRIZA leader, Alexis Tsipras sets his eyes on the prize

Alexis Tsipras addressing campaign rally in Thessaloniki, Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Last night I attended SYRIZA's last campaign rally here in Thessaloniki and for the second time in a month I saw their leader, Alexis Tsipras address the party faithful in the central Aristotelous Square. However, the difference between Tsipras last appearance here and this one shows just how much Greece's political scene has changed in the previous four weeks. Then, SYRIZA was seen at best, the third largest party with opinion polls putting their vote as low as 7 or 8% (In the May election their share of the vote reached nearly 17%), but now it seems the they are poised to become the largest party with anything up to 31.5% of the vote if some polls are to believed.


In the meantime the party and its leader has become the centre of unprecedented media attention, both at home and abroad, and most of it has been highly critical,as SYRIZA threatens to upset the austerity program crafted in Brussels, Washington and Berlin by the EU,ECB and IMF. The possibility of a radical leftist party taking power in an EU nation has driven some sections of the media into a veritable frenzy of hyperbole and fear mongering, culminating in the German edition of the Financial Times calling upon Greeks to resist demagogues (With the title written in Greek as well just to make sure the message would not go amiss).

The result has been a field day for anti-austerity parties who used the article to rally support for their policies. Even New Democracy leader, Antonis Samaras was forced to take issue with the article as a gross intervention in Greek internal affairs. Another factor which has benefited SYRIZA is the continued disintegration of the centre left PASOK party who were, until recently their main political rival. Under the inept leadership of Evangelos Venizelos, they look set to lose even more votes than their disastrous 13% showing in May (down from 43% in 2009). Video of Venizelos having a very public meltdown on live TV after being asked by a member of the audience about corruption just added to the impression that PASOK has lost touch with its traditional base.



The change in fortunes for SYRIZA was reflected in Tsipras's speech which was bold and clearly aimed at reaching out to those who until recently would never have even considered voting for them. Instead of shying away from media attacks, Tsipras tackled them head on, accusing both PASOK and New Democracy of offering Greek people nothing but fear.

Not usually an electrifying public speaker, this time the leader of SYRIZA upped his game and gave a performance reminiscent of the kind of firebrand speeches that used to be part and parcel of Greek electioneering. A far remove from the bloodless style of public delivery preferred by previous prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou who was widely derided for his wooden public addresses.

At time of writing "secret polls" which I cannot blog about (due to a law that forbids their publication for two weeks prior to elections) favour New Democracy, as do Greek and UK bookies. However, if their accuracy is anything like the previous examples such predictions mean little.

By the end of Sunday, whoever wins one thing will be sure, that the trials that Greece has faced over the last three years will not have disappeared. Should SYRIZA come first they will have to form a government and then deal with a Europe determined not to budge over the terms of further cash injections.

On the other hand if New Democracy comes first they will have to cobble together a coalition from disparate parties all of whom will have to foist upon their voters yet more public spending cuts and tax hikes. How long such a fragile alliance will last in such hostile economic conditions is open to debate and probably mean elections once again before the year is up.