Every time a reshuffle is imminent, a large part of the government staff “puts down their pencils” for a few days in anticipation of the prime minister‘s decisions. In this regard, these days the scenario tends to take the form of “collective psychosis” within the government, although competent sources tell protothema.gr that Kyriakos Mitsotakis is in no hurry to make decisions.

In other words, and according to converging reports, Mitsotakis has to weigh and think about his decisions, which this time cannot ignore the internal workings of Maximos Mansion.

The fact that the prime minister does not operate under the state of haste, however, does not prevent these days ministers and deputies from frantically calling journalists and other players looking for a good piece of information, a “sure thing”, either as to the timing of the changes or their direction.

There is even the phenomenon of ministers cancelling scheduled appearances because of the uncertainty that pervades them or their colleagues. This picture, of course, is in counterpoint to the picture in the Maximus Mansion, where the discussion reaches more as an external hearing. Some, of course, leave a “crack” for more forward-looking options for the Prime Minister.

After all, it’s not as if Mitsotakis won’t make changes to the government. Inevitably he will go for corrective moves, but the scope of which is the point. Mitsotakis’ reshuffles start as a foreshadowing and thinking of something more forward and end up as something more limited, rarely with structural changes. It remains to be seen whether this time this practice will be confirmed or whether the prime minister will want to make deeper cuts in an attempt of governmental restart.

Polluted landscape

In any case, a reshuffle is always a political card that a prime minister holds in his or her hands, even if it does not radically change the landscape. In this case, February seems event-dense for such a move, according to the analysis of several close associates of the prime minister and top ministers. At the same time, there are several uncertainties.

At the Maximou Mansion, for instance, they are awaiting confirmation or not of the authenticity of the videos taken from the Interstar company’s recorder of the commercial train. Also pending is a debate on the establishment of a Pre-Inquiry Committee on Christos Triantaopoulos, which is expected to take place around February 24 in the plenary session of the House of Representatives. On the horizon are still the publication of the findings of the National Research Institute and EODASAM, the second anniversary of the Tempi tragedy, but also the motion of censure announced by PASOK, no matter how much it tries to readjust its strategy.

There are, of course, supporters of the scenario of an immediate reshuffle – in February – who say that Mitsotakis could take an immediate initiative to change the agenda and “untie” the government from a practically one-sided debate. Those who disagree, on the other hand, counter that it would “burn a card” in a period of polarisation.

Mitsotakis, however, according to people familiar with the matter, he does not want to show that he is being “dragged” into a reshuffle under the weight of the Tembi tragedy. The government, moreover, has politically balanced itself in recent days, shifting the “pressure” to the PASOK side, which rather belatedly submitted a proposal for a Pre-Investigation Committee on a prosecutorial proposal that had been known in Parliament for months. It is clear that in the debate the week after next the government will reserve very high tones for PASOK. Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting is scheduled for February 26.