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Greece's former leftist prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, on Tuesday unveiled a new political party that he hopes will unite the country's divided opposition, at a time of widespread nationwide dissatisfaction with the political establishment and corruption.
Tsipras, who lost power in 2019, gained international attention as leader of the radical Syriza party, which clashed with Brussels and Berlin during bitter clashes at the height of the eurozone debt crisis.
Since then, Greek politics has been dominated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy party, according to Politico. With a solid lead in the polls, he is expected to call elections before the summer of 2027, while Tsipras is positioning himself as a potential challenger.
Tsipras, 51, has presented his new party "Elas" as an attempt to unite the left beyond its original radical left base, although it takes its name, somewhat controversially, from the communist resistance army during World War II.
He presented the new project in a 40-minute speech in central Athens, with the Acropolis illuminated in the background, greeting thousands of supporters as "comrades" and "friends."
"Our declaration today marks the beginning of a new collective effort to create a broad progressive alliance," he said, adding that the new party will include "the radical left, social democracy and political ecology."
Tsipras' attempt to return to the political scene comes at a time when polls show deep dissatisfaction among Greeks with the state of the country.
This dissatisfaction has been deepened by a series of major scandals, the government's failed response to the country's deadliest rail accident, the discovery of wiretapping software on the phones of dozens of politicians and journalists, and a major fraud involving EU agricultural funds.
However, anger over mismanagement has not strengthened the opposition. According to POLITICO's "Poll of Polls," New Democracy, with around 30 percent support, has double the support of its closest rival. The rest of the political scene is made up of a host of smaller parties.
“New Democracy has long remained in first place, but its numbers are at an all-time low. At the same time, there are no visible forces that could challenge its dominance,” said Angelos Seriatos, head of the political and social research department at the Prorata firm.
Seriatos added that the possibility of New Democracy forming a majority government in the first or second round of the elections is increasingly diminishing.
Petros Ioannidis, executive director of the think tank About People, said: “ Tsipras’ first priority will be to remobilize the leftist base, which fragmented into several factions after his departure, and then try to appeal to a wider audience.”
Several MPs from Syriza, as well as from the New Left party, which broke away from it, have already resigned or are expected to do so soon to join Tsipras.
Not the only new player
Tsipras's introduction marked the creation of the second new party in less than a week.
Maria Karystianou, the mother of one of the victims of the 2023 Tempi train accident, last Thursday presented her new party called "Hope for Democracy", with a strong anti-establishment platform.
The 53-year-old pediatrician emerged as a leading figure in the wave of protests against the political establishment following the accident and a perceived cover-up by authorities. However, she has lost support from some groups after statements that have been seen as close to right-wing populism on issues such as abortion rights and relations with Turkey.
"Its stances are very similar to the 5 Star Movement in Italy, but with a stronger patriotic and nationalist bent and a focus on corruption," Seriatos said.
“She started with moral capital and it seemed like many people would be open to her political message, but now she is on a downward trajectory,” he added. Critics have also accused her of surrounding herself with figures with pro-Russian stances or ties to Moscow.
Another party is expected to emerge from the right wing of the political spectrum, led by former Prime Minister and former leader of New Democracy, Antonis Samaras.
He was expelled from the party in 2024 after harsh criticism of government policies, including relations with neighboring Turkey and approaches he considers "woke," such as recognizing same-sex marriage.
The 75-year-old former prime minister is expected to have more limited electoral influence, but his party could create difficulties for Mitsotakis, who according to polls may not secure enough votes to form a government.
“The new parties seem to span the entire political spectrum, from left to right, as well as beyond the traditional boundaries of the political axis, and as a result they will definitely change the political landscape,” said George Arapoglou, director of Pulse RC./ Politico
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