Tsipras' decision to resign and call for early elections in August was a risky move, but it was made out of necessity. His government had lost support from a large sector of the ruling Syriza party, leaving him dependent on the opposition to pass legislation. Holding new elections (the third this year, counting the general elections in January and the referendum in July) was meant to rid Syriza of its rebellious members and to form a more cohesive government that would support the terms of the agreement with Greece's lenders. Politically, the strategy worked. Syriza lost only a negligible amount of votes when compared to the January election (earning 35.5 percent of the vote compared to 36.3 percent in January). The party created by the rebel lawmakers, Popular Unity, failed to enter parliament. And Tsipras' allies, the Independent Greeks, won enough seats to maintain their alliance with Syriza.