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Popular Unity (Greece)

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Popular Unity
Λαϊκή Ενότητα - Ανυπότακτη Αριστερά
AbbreviationΛΑΕ
(LAE)
LeadersDimitris Stratoulis, Marianna Tsixli
Founded21 August 2015 (2015-08-21)
Split fromSYRIZA
IdeologySocialism[1][2]
Euroscepticism[1][2][3]
Political positionLeft-wing[4][5] to far-left[1][6]
ColoursRed
Hellenic Parliament
0 / 300
European Parliament
0 / 21
Regional governors
0 / 13
Regional councillors
0 / 611
Party flag
Website
laiki-enotita.gr Edit this at Wikidata

Popular Unity - Insubordinate Left (Greek: Λαϊκή Ενότητα - Ανυπότακτη Αριστερά (ΛΑΕ - AA), Laïkí Enótita - Anipótakti Aristera, LAE - ΑΑ) is a left-wing[4][5] political party in Greece.

Popular Unity was founded on 21 August 2015 by twenty five parliamentarians formerly affiliated to the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza),[4] as a reaction to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' handling of the Greek bailout agreement of 2015.

History

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Popular Unity was founded on 21 August 2015 by 25 parliamentarians formerly affiliated to the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza),[4] as a reaction to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' handling of the Greek bailout agreement of 2015. At foundation Popular Unity was the third largest party in the Greek parliament.[7] It was led by the former Minister of Energy in the Tsipras cabinet, Panagiotis Lafazanis.[8] Dimitris Stratoulis (former Alternate Minister of Social Security) and Costas Isychos (former Alternate Minister of National Defence), who were sacked in July 2015,[9] also joined the new party.

September 2015 election

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On 2 September 2015, the party programme for the snap election on September 20 was published.[10] The party received about 2.9% of the vote, below the 3% threshold to win any seats in parliament. In response to the result the party said, 'we lost the game but not the war'.[11]

2023 election

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Popular Unity contested the 2023 legislative elections in a coalition with MeRA25, as part of the "Alliance for Rupture".[12]

Naming

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The name of the party is inspired by Popular Unity, the Chilean political alliance led by Salvador Allende.[13]

Policies

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The party favours Greek withdrawal from the eurozone and reinstating the drachma as Greece's national currency.[4] According to founding member Stathis Kouvelakis, a former member of Syriza's Central Committee, the new party supports socialist internationalism, pacifism, Greece's exit from NATO, and breaking military agreements with Israel.[7]

Election results

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Hellenic Parliament

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Election Hellenic Parliament Rank Leader
Votes % ±pp Seats won +/−
September 2015 155,320 2.86% New
0 / 300
 N/A #9 Panagiotis Lafazanis
2019 15,930 0.28% -2.58
0 / 300
 Steady #13

European Parliament

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European Parliament
Election Votes % ±pp Seats won +/− Rank Leader
2019 31,671 0.56% N/A
0 / 21
 #22 Panagiotis Lafazanis

Members of Parliament

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Popular Unity had 26 members of the Hellenic Parliament prior to the September 2015 election, all of whom defected from Syriza. In alphabetical order, they were:[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2015). "Greece". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Lafazanis: Greek rebel with a eurosceptic cause". EUBusiness. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Greece crisis: Syriza rebels form new Popular Unity party". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b "SYRIZA rebels clash with gov't as parties prepare to draft candidate lists". Kathimerini. 22 August 2015. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Greece's new far-left party to seek mandate to form govt". Kathimerini. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b Kouvelakis, Stathis (21 August 2015). "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  8. ^ Yardley, Jim (21 August 2015). "In a Twist, Europe May Find Itself Relying on Success of Alexis Tsipras of Greece". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Greece PM opts for limited reshuffle". ekathimerini-com. Kathimerini. July 17, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  10. ^ Text in Greek: http://laiki-enotita.gr/component/k2/item/134-o-panagiotis-lafazanis-parousiazei-tin-programmatiki-diakiryksi-tis-laikis-enotitas, News in English: https://www.veooz.com/news/AJdMlHY.html Archived 2024-01-05 at the Wayback Machine, Table of content + some quotations in German: http://theoriealspraxis.blogsport.de/2015/09/03/das-wahlprogramm-der-griech-lae-volkseinheit/ Archived 2016-01-19 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Solanke, Simi (20 September 2015). "Popular Unity: Not Popular Enough to Take a Seat in Greek Parliament". Greekreporter.com. Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  12. ^ Kouvelakis, Stathis (19 May 2023). "Greece's Radical Left Is Fighting to Overcome Syriza's Legacy". Jacobin. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  13. ^ "Greece rebels form new party ahead of snap polls". AFP. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  14. ^ "MPs > Per Parliamentary Group > LAIKI ENOTITA". Hellenic Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
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