SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras appeared in a TV interview on Kontra TV channel. “A clear win by SYRIZA will be the final blow for the old political system,” he said. He admitted, however, that there is disharmony between the July 12 agreement and the popular mandate of January 25.

“I am not hinged to the prime minister’s chair,” he said. “I had decided that elections were necessary so that the people could speak.”

He claimed that he was optimistic that his party would win the September 20 elections. “Today, we are better informed, we are down to earth, we have secured funding for three years, plus the investment Juncker program and the opportunity for direct investments that will bring us back on the path of growth,” he said, adding that the debt issue would be discussed in late October or early November. “This requires a government that will negotiate hard.”

The departure of 30 or so leftist deputies from his party following SYRIZA’s U-turn from anti-austerity to pro-bailout was also cited as a factor that lead to the decision to hold snap elections on September 20, the second in 2015, just a few months following a referendum on July 13 that Tsipras won but whose results he chose to ignore.

The torrent of elections along with political turmoil caused by “creatively vague” elongated negotiations have taken a toll on the already battered Greek economy. Tsipras was victorious on the first and second elections, but will he manage to gain support in the third showdown after so openly rejecting the “popular mandate” that he wore as a banner on his sleeve?

“What we are asking for is a clear majority mandate. If we are not given a majority,” he said.

Abandoning rhetoric, for the first time he left open the possibility of collaborating with other parties, such as socialist PASOK should certain deputies be distanced as well as centrist Potami.

He rejected any form of collaboration with the conservative ND party. “I do not underestimate Mr. Meimarakis as an adversary,” he said. Polls are already placing Meimarakis ahead. The opposition leader has already benefited from keeping a low profile and is seen as a safe option for Greeks who feel that they have been misled by SYRIZA’s broken promises.