Syriza

Syriza
Leader	Alexis Tsipras
Founded	2004 (as alliance) 22 May 2012 (as party)
Headquarters	1 Eleftherias Square, 105 53 Athens, Greece
Ideology	Democratic socialism, Eco-socialism, Communism Anti-capitalism, Alter-globalization
Political position	Left to Far-left
European affiliation	Party of the European Left (member), European Anticapitalist Left (observer)
European Parliament group	European United Left – Nordic Green Left
Colours	Red, green, purple
Slogan	Anoigoume dromo stin elpida (We open way to hope)
Parliament	52 / 300
European Parliament	1 / 22
Regions	17 / 725
Website
www.syriza.gr
Politics of Greece Political parties Elections

The Coalition of the Radical Left ([Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς, Synaspismós Rhizospastikís Aristerás] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), abbreviated SYRIZA (Greek: ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, punning on σύρριζα, sýrrhiza, meaning "to the roots"), is a coalition of left-wing and radical left political parties in Greece. Its parliamentary leader is Alexis Tsipras, the president of Synaspismós, the largest party in the coalition. The coalition contains a broad-array of groups, thirteen in total and independent politicians; this includes democratic socialists and green left groups to Maoist, Trotskyist and eurocommunist organisations.

Alexis Tsipras, leader of SYRIZA

History

Formation

Although SYRIZA was formally launched before the legislative election of 2004, the roots of the process that led to its formation can be traced back to the Space for Dialogue for the Unity and Common Action of the Left (Greek: Χώρος Διαλόγου για την Ενότητα και Κοινή Δράση της Αριστεράς) in 2001. The "Space" was composed of various organisations of the Greek Left that, despite different ideological and historical backgrounds, had shared common political action in several important issues that had arisen in Greece at the end of the 1990s, such as the Kosovo War, privatizations, social rights, etc.

The "Space" provided the common ground from which the participating parties could work together on issues such as:

• Against the neoliberal reform of the pension and social security systems
• Opposition to new Anti-terrorism legislation
• The preparation of the Greek participation at the 2001 international demonstration in Genoa.

Even though the "Space" was not a political organisation, but rather an effort to bring together the parties and organisations that attended, it gave birth to some electoral alliances for the local election of 2002, the most successful being the one led by Manolis Glezos for the super-prefecture of Athens-Piraeus. The "Space" also provided the common ground from which several of the member parties and organizations launched the Greek Social Forum, part of the larger European Social Forum.

2004 general election

The defining moment for the birth of SYRIZA came with the legislative election of 2004. Most of the participants of the "Space", sought to develop a common platform that could lead to an electoral alliance. This led to the eventual formation of the Coalition of the Radical Left, in January 2004.

The parties that originally formed the Coalition of the Radical Left in January 2004 were:

• Synaspismós (SYN)
• Renewing Communist Ecological Left (AKOA)
• Internationalist Workers Left (DEA)
• Movement for the United in Action Left (KEDA) (a split of the Communist Party of Greece)
• Active Citizens (a political organisation associated with Manolis Glezos)
• Other independent left-wing groups or activists

Although the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE) had participated in the "Space", it decided not to take part in the Coalition.

In the election, the Coalition gathered 241,539 votes (3.3% of the total) and elected six members to parliament. All six were members of Synaspismos, the largest of the coalition parties. This led to much tension within the Coalition.

Crisis and revitalization

Alekos Alavanos

After the 2004 election, the smaller parties accused Synaspismos of not honoring an agreement, to have one of its members of parliament resign so that Yannis Banias of AKOA would take his seat. Tension built up and resulted in the split of the Internationalist Workers Left and the formation of Kokkino, both of which remained within the Coalition. The frame of the crisis within SYRIZA was the reluctance of Synaspismos to adopt and keep the political agreement for a clear denial of "centre-left politics".

Three months after the legislative election, Synaspismos chose to run independently from the rest of the Coalition for the 2004 elections for the European Parliament and some of the smaller parties of the Coalition supported the feminist Women for Another Europe (Greek: Γυναίκες για μια Άλλη Ευρώπη) list.

The crisis ended in December 2004 with the 4th convention of Synaspismos, when the large majority within the party voted for the revitalization of the Coalition. This change of attitude was further intensified with the election of Alekos Alavanos, a staunch supporter of the Coalition, as president of Synaspismos, after its former leader, Nikos Konstantopoulos stepped down.

The Coalition solidified further with the successful organization of the 4th European Social Forum in May 2006 in Athens, as well as with a number of largely successful coalition tickets, such as in Athens and Piraeus, for the 2006 local election. The ticket for the municipality of Athens was led by the 30 year old Alexis Tsipras, proposed by Alavanos who declared Synaspismos's "opening to the new generation".

2007 general election

File:Syrza 2007 impossible.jpg

Poster of the Coalition for the 2007 election

The Coalition of the Radical Left was the big surprise in the 2007 Greek legislative election (16 September 2007), increasing their votes by 120,000 and gaining an unexpected 5,04%. Opinion polls had already indicated that the Coalition was expected to make significant gains in the election, with predictions ranging from 4% to 5% of the electorate.

Prior to the election, in 22 June, the participating parties had agreed on a common declaration. The signed Declaration of the Coalition of the Radical Left, outlined the common platform on which the Coalition would compete in the following election and outlined the basis for the political alliance.

The Coalition of 2007 has also expanded from its original composition in 2004. On 20 June 2007, the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE) announced its participation into the Coalition. On August 21 the environmentalist Ecological Intervention (Greek: Οικολογική Παρέμβαση), also joined, and on 22 August 2007, the Democratic Social Movement (DIKKI), also announced its own participation to the Coalition.

On 2 September the Areios Pagos refused to include the title of DIKKI in the electoral alliance of SYRIZA claiming that the internal procedures followed by DIKKI were flawed. This was criticised furiously by SYRIZA and DIKKI as inappropriate interference in party political activity on behalf of the courts.

More recent developments

In 27 November 2007, Alavanos announced that he would not apply for a renewal of his presidency of Synaspismos, for private reasons. The 5th party congress of Synaspismos elected 33 year old Alexis Tsipras, a municipal councillor for the municipality of Athens, as party president in 10 February 2008. Alavanos retained the parliamentary leadership of SYRIZA, however, as Tsipras was not at that time a member of parliament. Tsipras achieved considerable popularity with the Greek electorate, which led to a significant increase in support for SYRIZA in opinion polls, up to 18 percent at its peak.

At the end of June 2008, Xekinima announced that it would join the coalition.

During the run-up to the 2009 European Parliament election SYRIZA, amid turbulent internal developments, saw its polling numbers dive to 4.7%, with the result that only one SYRIZA candidate (Nikos Hountis) was elected to the European Parliament. This caused renewed internal strife, leading to the resignation of former Synaspismos president Alekos Alavanos from his seat in the Greek parliament, a resignation that was however recalled in a few days.

In the Greek legislative election in October 2009, SYRIZA won 4.6% of the vote (slightly less than its 2007 showing), returning 13 MPs. These included Tsipras, who took over as SYRIZA's parliamentary leader.

In June 2010, the Ananeotiki ("Renewing Wing") of radical social democrats in Synapsismos split away from the party, at the same time leaving SYRIZA. This reduced SYRIZA's parliamentary group to 9 MPs. The 4 MPS who left formed a new party, the Democratic Left.

In a move of voters away from the parties which participated in the coalition government under the premiership of Lucas Papademos in November 2011, SYRIZA gained popular support in the opinion polls (as did the Communist Party of Greece and the Democratic Left). Opinion polls in the run-up to the May 2012 election showed SYRIZA with 10-12% support. The minor Unitary Movement (a PASOK splinter) also joined the Coalition in March 2012.

In legislative elections in May 2012, the party quadrupled its number of seats becoming the second largest party in parliament, behind New Democracy. After the election, Tsipras was invited by the President to try to form a government, but failed to form a government of the Left due to lack of parliamentary numbers and the intransigence of the KKE. Subsequently, Tsipras rejected a proposal by the President to join a coalition government with the pro-austerity parties.

For the Greek legislative election, June 2012, Syriza re-registered as a single party instead of as a coalition, in order to receive the 50 "bonus" seats given to the largest polling party under the Greek electoral system.

Participating parties

Coalition supporters in a 2007 rally. Flags of Synaspismos, AKOA, DIKKI and Kokkino, as well as of the Coalition itself can be seen.

With the aforementioned additions, the Coalition currently comprises the following parties (in alphabetical order):

• Active Citizens (Ενεργοί Πολίτες): democratic socialism, patriotism
• Anticapitalist Political Group (ΑΠΟ): communism, trotskyism
• Communist Organization of Greece (KOE): maoism, communism
• Democratic Social Movement (DIKKI): left-wing nationalism, socialism, euroscepticism
• Ecosocialists of Greece: eco-socialism, left ecology
• Internationalist Workers' Left (DEA): revolutionary socialism, communism, trotskyism
• Movement for the United in Action Left (KEDA): communism
• Radical Left Group Roza
• Radicals (Ριζοσπάστες): democratic socialism, patriotism
• Red (Κόκκινο): communism, trotskyism
• Renewing Communist Ecological Left (AKOA): democratic socialism, eurocommunism, green politics
• Synaspismós (SYN): democratic socialism, eco-socialism, eurocommunism, environmentalism, feminism
• Unitary Movement: democratic socialism, social democracy
• And several independent leftist activists

Electoral results

Results since 2004 (year links to election page)
Year	Type of election	Votes	%	MP
2004	Parliament	241,539	3.26%	6
2007	Parliament	361,211	5.04%	14
2009	European Parliament	240,898	4.70%	1
2009	Parliament	315,627	4.60%	13 (later 9)
2012	Parliament	1,061,265	16.78%	52

European parliament

The SYRIZA holds 1 seat in the European parliament

• Nikos Hountis

External links

• Coalition of the Radical Left
• Active Citizens
• Communist Organization of Greece
• Democratic Social Movement
• Ecological Intervention
• Internationalist Workers Left
• Kokkino
• Movement for the United in Action Left
• Popular Unions of Bipartisan Social Groups
• Renewing Communist Ecological Left
• Synaspismos
• Xekinima