At that time they said the most obvious solution would be an above-politics left-nationalist figure, a "Greek Kirchner" or "Greek Morales", and that the absence of such a figure would make it impossible to form what Marxists refer to as a "workers government" - ie a radical reforming government with the participation of the far left, but limited to parliamentary means.
The second spurt is occurring now, as the coalition government - which includes Conservatives, Socialists and the "moderate" Marxists of the Democratic Left party - has failed to put a lid on the crisis.