Tightrope act (idiom)
In common parlance, the phrase means pulling a tightrope - a dangerous or difficult undertaking in which the performer must maintain a balance between two opposites .
use
The term is often used in politics when a politician or the politics of a country is supposed to assert itself in a diplomatic way in word and action, without offending one of their supporters / neighboring states etc. and thus deprived of the basis of the ability to govern .
origin
The term refers to the situation of a tightrope walker balancing on a tightrope and running the risk of falling to either side if he is careless.