The editorial boards of two major newspapers highlighted this week the opportunities and challenges lying ahead for Alexis Tsipras, in the wake of his return to power with a strong mandate and a clear election victory. 

The New York Times’ September 22 editorial Greek Voters Give Alexis Tsipras Another Go as Prime Minister calls on Greece’s creditors to recognize that Tsipras is "the leader Greeks have seriously put their faith in", and to take advantage of this trust to "encourage him toward the difficult decisions he needs to make by seriously reducing the mountain of debt that is choking Greece".

Many more trials and uncertainties lie ahead as the country needs reforms counter to Tsipras’s left-wing ideology, but there is some good news in that "he has the mandate and the popular trust to impose the economic measures he agreed to and to pursue the reforms Greece so sorely needs if it is to start reviving its battered economy".

The Guardian, in its September 21 editorial, referred to SYRIZA’s victory as the "the end of the beginning" when it comes to resolving the Greek issue. Greece’s "charismatic young prime minister", Alexis Tsipras, "managed to convince Greeks that national self-respect had been restored" and leading them to decide that - if austerity is inevitable - they would rather see it implemented by someone who fought it hard.

Armed with a "strong mandate", Tsipras will now be "tested on the harsh terrain of long-needed reforms" in order to modernize his country. This is welcome news - both for Greece and Europe- because "hope for political stability in the country has now revived", as well as hope that Alexis Tsipras can transform Greece into a more dependable member of the EU. However, the road to recovery will be hard.