The completion of the election process for the President of SYRIZA and the formalization of the foundation of Kasselakis’ new party brings to a close the cycle of party political realignments that began the day after the European elections.

Party political, but not necessarily political.

Because new formations and new faces (even if they’ve been around for a while…) have to decide what they are and seek their public before we can judge whether their offerings qualify as the latter.

In any case, there’s ample—though not infinite—time before the next elections.

The Prime Minister has confirmed for the umpteenth time that he won’t be moving the elections forward (in an interview on Alpha, 27/11). Though, clearly, even if he was thinking of calling early elections, he wouldn’t announce it prematurely, or on television.

What is certain, however, is that he has no pressing need to do so.

That he also confirmed there are no plans to change the electoral law does give the impression, though, that the government has no intention of putting itself under pressure, given that none of the other parties can.

Regardless of the time-frame, however, there is a sense that a new party political system is coming into being. And while it may not be new exactly in either its content or its demarcations, at least the individual formations are novel.

And a restructuring of this sort could undoubtedly give Greek democracy a much needed shot in the arm.

Albeit without qualifying—for now, at least—as a renewal. There are just too many old ingredients, shop-worn methods and outdated recipes in there for the modern electorate to take.

Because how could any conscientious voter not wonder precisely what sort of shot in the arm a system that recycles what are possibly the worst features of its predecessor can actually deliver?

It’s a fair question. Which is why the parties’ new clothes, all those splits and mergers, don’t necessarily herald actual political change. Such developments usually mean business as usual under new logos.

Still, two things are now clear: one, the Greek political system has been subjected to a severe crash test over the past decade; and two, none of the political formations the crisis brought into being have survived.

Because SYRIZA is only the latest victim of the return to political normality.

All of which means that, while there is a palpable sense of “something being born” in the air, we don’t know what it is, whether it has anything new to offer, or how it might differ from the something that’s dying.

And by the time we do know, it may already be too late to make it better.