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Greece is a quite small Country: 11 million of people, a GDP of 180 billion Euro (11th in Eu), a public debt around 180% of GDP and an unemployment rate of 26% (the highest in Europe).

Can a Country depressed by years of austerity and weakened by social tensions, change the history of a Continent? After the elections of the 25th January, maybe yes.

The win of Syriza must be seen in two different perspectives. From the interior side, it is the first time in Greek recent history that a "third party" becomes the main political force beating PSOK and Nea Dimokratia. If the new Prime Minister Tsipras will be brave enough, he will be able to struggle with the corruption, result of a spoiled political system managed for decades by two parties and few families. 

From the external side, the Greek elections are the first (and probably not the last) in Europe that give power to an anti-austerity Party. This means that Eu (and Germany) will have to dialogue with Tsipras and this time it will be forced to listen his opinions. Even if it is too early to understand which will be the real effects of this situation in the future European economic policies, it is defineitely represents something new and positive.

The first public act of Tsipras has surprised the public opinion: the alliance with ANEL, the right and xenophobe Party. But it was probably the only available solution : even if the two new allies are ideologically very far, they are both against the austerity and this explains why To Potami (the new center-left political Party) wasn't suitable to support Tsipras Government for its softer position towards Troika.

Something is changing in Europe: the ECB has adopted a new position to fight the crisis and it seems that Germany is finally understanding the austerity is not a doable way anymore. At the political level, Paris and Rome are waiting to collaborate with Tsipras and press Berlin for less rigidity. Over all, another anti-austerity force, Podemos, could win the next elections in Spain. 

Let's be optimistic about the rest of the year.