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Today, Greece has one last chance to preserve and strengthen its place in Europe. Whether an opportunity to renegotiate the memorandum will be sought or the goal is to seek opportunities to gain time to complete the general "realignment" in Europe, pressure for forming a government will intensify in the upcoming days, even if ultimately it is decided to hold new elections.

Dusky landscape within the country...

Following the announcement of the election results from last Sunday, and after on one hand the message of politicians was clear and on the other it caused difficulties in the compilation of the cabinet, the following days and hours are crucial.

In anticipation of the last attempt, which will be made, in order to overcome the gap between political forces, old dilemmas reemerge in a dramatic way and bring the Greek political forces face to face with their historical responsibility.

… clear message from Europe

Europe and the International Monetary Fund have repeatedly stated through senior officials that they will not discuss changes in the agreed programme. At the same time they clearly show their intentions by giving the tranches of new economic aid to Greece drop by drop. After it was decided to give 5.2 billion Euros to the country, only 4.2 billion Euros were allocated.

Under these conditions Greek political leaders are expected to make the last round of meetings and contacts under the auspices of President Carolos Papoulias.

And since everything is known by all members of New Democracy, PASOK, the Democratic Left and to a lesser extent SYRIZA, they express minimal hopes that a formula, which will provide at least a temporary solution and the creation of a cabinet, will be found.

Since the three political forces insist that SYRIZA participates in the government and its leader Alexis Tsipras is not giving up on his position for the immediate revision of certain provisions in the second memorandum, all political forces are preparing for new elections, probably in the middle orat the end of June.

Last chance

If we get to that point it is clear to all that new elections will be the last chance for the country.

As noted by members of the political forces, an independent cabinet cannot be formed, the cooperation of some parties will be the only possible path without any alternatives. The unknown in this case is what balance of power will occur after the elections. If PASOK breaks apart, will the mobilization of the centre-right parties follow or will there be an increase of the Left influence?

Given these questions, at the last minute party headquarters are trying to develop winning strategies.

New Democracy is making attempts to make an impression of "rearranging" the party by attracting both Dora Bakogiannis, and some of the ex-members, who left and joined Panos Kamenos’ party "Independent Greeks". In PASOK, however, operation “revival” is in progress, which has surprised almost everyone.

Meanwhile, within the ranks of the Left a strategy for "tomorrow" is being sought after - on one hand in order to justify decisions, in the unlikely event of finding a compromise during the discussion with the President of the country, and on the other, in case that possible second election gives the same or similar results.

After the new elections. Then what?

The thing that everyone knows and admits is that after the possible second elections no one will have the same amount of time, because everything was said during the exploratory mandates from last week.

Express procedures and decisions will have to follow, based on the proven need for cooperation between political forces, otherwise the country will take the road towards “catastrophe” and no one else will be to blame but politicians themselves.

Meanwhile, member of European parliament Daniel Cohn-Bendit characterized the election results from last Sunday as " collapse of the political scene in Greece", arguing that an eventual exit from the Eurozone will cause extreme deterioration in the living standards in the country and there will be danger of a coup.

"Europe needs to send a message of hope," says the member of the European parliament. "If Greeks are left alone, there is danger of a coup", he said in an interview for the French "Le Monde".

In the event of a return to the national currency, he said, "the deterioration of living standards will be even more dramatic. Nobody knows how the country will be able to function with the new Drachma."

In connection with attempts to form a government of cooperation Cohn-Bendit believes that a solution should be found, which can be reached through European contacts with the parties of the Left, including the most radical ones.

Thus Leftist parties will understand that existing commitments made by Greece must be followed, in order for the country to remain in the common currency.