Former PM Tsipras looks to unite Greece’s fragmented opposition with new party

ATHENS — Greece’s left-wing former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday launched a new party that he hopes will unite the country’s splintered opposition amid nationwide frustration over the political establishment and its corruption.

Tsipras, who lost power in 2019, gained international prominence as leader of the radical Syriza party that confronted Brussels and Berlin in high-stakes rounds of brinkmanship at the height of the eurozone debt crisis.

Since then, the country’s politics have been dominated by the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Comfortably ahead in polls, he is expected to call an election before the summer of 2027 and Tsipras is stepping up to cast himself as a potential challenger.

The erratic, 51-year-old Tsipras styled his new “Elas” party as a move to unite the left beyond his original far-left base although he has — somewhat controversially — taken the name from the army of the communist resistance movement in World War II.

He unveiled his new project in a 40-minute speech in central Athens, with the illuminated Acropolis as a backdrop, 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 the new party would embrace “the radical left, social democracy and political ecology.”

Tsipras’ attempt to return to the political front line comes as poll after poll reveals Greeks’ deep discontent with the state of the nation.

The malaise has been exacerbated by a series of major scandals: the government’s botched response to the country’s deadliest train crash; spyware found on the phones of scores of politicians and journalists; and a massive fraud involving EU agricultural funds.

However, the bitterness over malpractice has not strengthened the opposition. According to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, New Democracy with support of 30 percent has twice the backing of its nearest rival. Much of the political landscape is a jumble of tiny parties.

“New Democracy has remained in first place for a very long time, but its poll numbers are actually at a historic low. At the same time, there are no apparent forces capable of challenging its dominance,” said Angelos Seriatos, head of the political and social research department at Prorata polling firm.

Seriatos added it was increasingly unlikely that New Democracy would form a majority government in the first or second round of elections is fading.

Petros Ioannidis, chief executive of research group About People, said: “Tsipras’ first priority will be to rally the left-wing base, which broke down into several factions after he left, and then try to appeal to a broader audience.”

Several MPs from Syriza — and the New Left party that splintered from it — have already resigned or are expected to do so imminently to join Tsipras.

Not the only new player

Tsipras’ launch created the second new party in less than a week.

Maria Karystianou, the mother of one of the victims of the Tempi train crash in 2023 rolled out her new party last Thursday named “Hope for Democracy” with a platform strong on anti-establishment rhetoric.

The 53-year-old pediatrician emerged as a figurehead in a wave of protests against the country’s political establishment, following the crash and a perceived cover-up by the authorities. She ultimately alienated many people, however, with comments that veered close to right-wing populism on topics such as abortion rights and relations with Turkey.

“Her positions are very reminiscent of [Italy’s] 5Star Movement, but with a much stronger patriotic and nationalist slant and a focus on corruption,” Seriatos said.

“While it started with moral capital and it seemed that many people would be receptive to what it had to say politically, she is on a downward trajectory,” he added. Critics have also accused her of surrounding herself with figures who maintain pro-Russian views or ties to Moscow.

Another party from the right of the political spectrum is likely to emerge from former Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras.

He was expelled from the party back in 2024 after strongly criticizing government policies, including on the relationship with neighboring Turkey, as well as what he considers “woke” approaches such as recognizing same-sex marriage.

The 75-year-old former premier has more limited potential electoral influence, but his party could create trouble for Mitsotakis, who polls suggest will struggle to secure enough votes to form a government.

“The new parties appear to cover the entire political spectrum from the left to the right, as well as beyond the traditional borders of the political axis, and as a result they will definitely alter the political landscape,” said George Arapoglou, director of Pulse RC, a pollster.