How Alexis Tsipras went from being the Greek Corbyn to the EU’s poster boy

Denis MacShane

As loud-mouthed, ugly, anti-European politics surge in Rome, Vienna, Budapest and Brexit Britain, Greece’s prime minister has shown another way is possible.

At a time when it is fashionable to assert the European right and extreme right are on an unstoppable ascension to power it is useful to look at Greece where a socialist government, headed by a populist ex-firebrand, now turned well, almost a statesman, has just put on a tie.

Alexis Tsipras doesn’t do ties but he put a red one on to celebrate the end of Greece leaving the EU’s supervision programme, after €274bn (£241bn) of European taxpayer’s money had been poured into Greece to keep the country partnered with the rest of Europe. This week he is in London promoting Greece as an investment opportunity and embracing market economics with gusto.

It is quite a turnaround from three years ago as every commentator rushed to Athens to proclaim Grexit would soon happen.