Trikoupis, an old minister of Koumoundouros, first won the elections in 1881 from Al. Koumoundouros. These elections in fact marked the end of the latter's political career. In spite of their political differences, however, both politicians concentrated on leading the country along the path of parliamentarism and economic growth, making some crucial choices about its future course.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Koumoundouros was the Finance Minister of the Voulgaris and Miaoulis administrations between 1856 and 1860. He had then, in 1859, taken part in negotiations concerning the repayment of the foreign debts. The positive outcomes of his stay in power include the 1871 agrarian reforms and the 1878 settlement concerning the terms for the repayment of the foreign loans contracted during the Revolution. It was this settlement that allowed Greece to re-establish its credit abroad and attract new funds.

In 1880 Trikoupis, then only in his first term as Prime Minister, abolished the tithe levied on grain and substituted it with a tax on tilling animals. The measure was of high symbolic value since it put an end to a practice left over from the Ottoman past and marked a first step towards the modernization he had pledged. His choices concerning a rationalized public administration mechanism, the construction of infrastructure works, and the attraction of foreign and expatriate investors, were propped up by inordinate borrowing, which led to the bankruptcy of 1893.

The programme of economic changes pursued by Koumoundouros and Trikoupis did not vary greatly. Koumoundouros, however, did not seem able to discipline his MPs and thus failed to implement his plans. One of their main differences was the context in which they viewed the development of the country. For Trikoupis, the domestic and economic revamping had to precede all moves in the field of foreign policy. It is a fact that, while he placed great importance on the organization and arming of the armed forces, his rhetoric clearly did not echo the Great Idea (Megali Idea) visions nor did he implicate the country in irredentist adventures. On the contrary, Koumoundouros was involved in the Cretan insurrections and indeed throughout his career paid very close attention to issues concerning foreign policy.