Italian daily: "Greece in 2019 is turning page"

With reference to the political landscape of Greece, Il Manifesto adds: "It is undoubtedly the big bet of Alexis Tsipras. In 2015 he was forced to accept the terms of creditors who did not want to understand that the austerity model had to change radically. Now the country is once again gaining its sovereignty in the economic field, and the SYRIZA government can reintroduce collective labor agreements, gradually raise lowered pensions, while avoiding the last cut in retirement benefits requested by lenders."

According to the newspaper, "Tsipras wanted to prove that despite the difficulties and the impasses, the Left was able to handle the situation" having decided "to withstand the most critical moments in order to take the country out of tutelage and get and again its hands of its future."

"Now, the biggest challenge is the one of the European elections," says Il Manifesto. Adding that the Greek Center-Right believes in "less taxes, less state, with an emphasis on growth," while SYRIZA believes that this economic growth can keep pace with the re-establishment of social rights, especially in a country like Greece.

The Rome newspaper also writes that unemployment remains high, but declines steadily and has fallen to 18.6%, while in 2013 it had a negative record of 27.8%. It also reported on a series of polls that give a lead of four to ten units for  New Democracy. But, at the same time, it noted that very often, polls in Greece were not confirmed by the election results.

Finally, as far as the next spring European elections are concerned, Il Manifesto underlines that "the left on the left of SYRIZA" does not seem willing to work with Alexis Tsipras' party. But the daily thinks that much of the future balances will depend on what kind of alliances the "Movement of Change" will ultimately choose to do.