Despite the damaging and humiliating bailout deal that backtracks on nearly every campaign promise he made, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s political support appears alive and well, even among the hundreds of protesters who stormed the streets of Athens when Parliament met to vote on this deal.

Notwithstanding the huge disappointment for the Greek people, despite the fact that Tsipras made such an about-face in his negotiations with the European Union and then accepted a deal which contained harsher terms than before, he remains solid as a rock. His public popularity is still unquestioned.

Political analysts say that he has remained a likeable figure because the political alternatives are few. There is no opposition and he has tremendous political capital that can help him pass any law with minimal losses.

In a certain way, the Greek Prime Minister’s popularity resembles that of Malta’s own Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Muscat is still very popular and enjoys strong support among the majority of Maltese citizens. This despite his lacklustre performance in running the government, especially during the last few months when a succession of half-baked initiatives led to acts verging on corruption.

The extraordinary property expropriation payment to Mark Gaffarena and his apparent close friendship with Michael Falzon, the parliamentary secretary for planning; the Cafe Premier’s nasty deal; Australia Hall; the government guarantee of €88 million to the private company Electrogas for the construction of a new power station... all these will surely take their toll in a few years’ time.

But, in the meantime, Muscat is safe and sound.

Unfortunately, the leader of the Opposition is not all that impressive and this is making for an easy ride to another triumph at the polls by Muscat and the Labour movement.

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