Merkel and Hollande at the 17th German-French council of ministers, March, 2015. Demotix/ Jakob Ratz. All rights reserved.With slightly more than half the ballots counted, "óxi" is set to win a decisive victory. Since the first estimates were released, "No" has maintained a 20 point lead over "Yes". With a 65% turnout, Mr. Tsipras has every justification in declaring a tremendous electoral victory for Syriza and for his leadership.
He can thank the IMF for that, ironically enough. Throughout the week, polls indicated that the country was split down the middle. Then on Thursday, the IMF released a report that confirmed what many have been saying for a long time: Greek debt really is unsustainable and a large haircut should be included as part of any deal. That must have been the game-changer; one thing is a suspicion, and another is the senior creditor and Troika member publishing this in a formal report.
It is hard to believe that the timing is a coincidence, for as Franklin Roosevelt once said: "Nothing in politics is an accident. If something happens, it is because someone meant for it to." That someone can only have been the United States, who has been quietly urging a deal for months now.
