It’s not that I'm obsessed by Greece.  Enchanted by its beauty and overwhelmed by its boundless potential, yes.

Engrossed by the complexity and mystery surrounding the evolution of the ancient civilisation  that sprang from its soil, also yes. But obsessed by Greek political affairs, hardly. 

What intrigues me is the crucial part this country is once again playing on the World political stage.

A series of unfortunate events and the lack of them have catapulted this nation onto the world headlines: 

Deep financial crises wreaks havoc on  Greek economy. Huge income disparities.

Corrupt ruling elite. Fifty percent of its young people remain unemployed. 25% unemployment rate among the general population , higher rate among women.

Families losing their homes . Slashed social benefits. Retirement age up to 65 years and more likely to be dragged up to 67years. Stretched and scanty government services and  dwindling maintenance of basic infrastructure.

We read about the headlines, while the Greeks live them and with them. For almost a decade, the people have struggled to get their act together and move forward. But an entire decade of fighting the odds by entrusting leader after leader, government after government  with the responsibility of orchestrating  the individual citizen's singular sacrifice into an effective game changing  collective venture, and being repeatedly disappointed by the outcome, has taken its toll on the mindset of many a Greek.

As I write this piece thousands of Greeks are casting their vote in favour of Tsiprias Syrhiza, simply because their tried governments made up of their conventional political parties have failed to live up to their expectations. 

To the thousands of Greeks living in abject poverty, the balanced budget headlines achieved after so many years by Samaras' predominantly New Democracy government, means nothing. They have come to the point where they believe that only a major gamble onto Tsiprias anti-austerity politics, can give them any hope whatsoever within their own short lifetime. 

And can anyone blame them?

Just like us, when they joined the EU they thought that it was a serious enough institution to nip any EU government excesses, including their own, in the bud and in time. Just like us, they thought that EU solidarity was more than a buzzword .

Just like us they were taken in by the rhetoric then, and in their case they are putting their hope in Syrhiza's rhetoric now.

The big difference is that a vote for Syrhiza now, is a vote against the European  traditional establishment, with massive influence on the outcome of other European elections to follow. Sinn Fein in Ireland, Podemos in Spain, UkIP in Britian and others.  The €1.1 trillion that the ECB pledged earlier on this week in quantitave easing in an attempt to kick start the EU economy, might  stamp out deflation and inject some life into EU's economies, but might be too late in reversing  the fast metamorphosis of the average European's mindset into one of derision towards the incumbent form the EU has taken.

I cannot help but imagine how different Europe will be if by the end of the year , all the radical anti EU sentiment  unites to redraw its own new  political map of Europe, while we  moderates   here and there, just look on in disbelief from the intoxicating comfort of our own Elysian Fields.