Popular Unity (Greece)
| Popular Unity Λαϊκή Ενότητα |
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|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | ΛE - ΛAE (LE or LAE) |
| Leader | Panagiotis Lafazanis |
| Slogan | 'OXI! (No!) |
| Founded | 21 August 2015 |
| Split from | SYRIZA |
| Ideology | Socialism[1] Euroscepticism[1][2] Left-wing populism |
| Political position | Left-wing[3] to Far-left[1][4] |
| International affiliation | None |
| European affiliation | None |
| European Parliament group | European United Left/Nordic Green Left |
| Colours | Red |
| Hellenic Parliament |
0 / 300
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| European Parliament |
1 / 21
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| Regional Governors |
0 / 13
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| Website | |
| laiki-enotita |
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| Politics of Greece Political parties Elections |
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Popular Unity (Greek: Λαϊκή Ενότητα, ΛΕ, Laïkí Enótita, LE) is a left-wing political party in Greece whose official foundation is still pending.[5]
Popular Unity was founded on 21 August 2015 by twenty five parliamentarians formerly affiliated to the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza),[6] as a reaction to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' handling of the Greek bailout agreement of 2015. It is led by the former Minister of Energy Panagiotis Lafazanis.[7] Due to receiving 2.86% (vs. the required 3%) of the popular vote in the September 2015 election it has no seats in the Parliament.[8]
Contents
History[edit]
Popular Unity was founded on 21 August 2015 by 25 parliamentarians formerly affiliated to the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza),[6] 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.[9] It is led by the former Minister of Energy in the Tsipras cabinet, Panagiotis Lafazanis.[7] Dimitris Stratoulis (former Alternate Minister of Social Security) and Costas Isychos (former Alternate Minister of National Defence), who were sacked in July 2015,[10] also joined the new party.
Election September 2015[edit]
On September 2, 2015 the party programme for the snap election on September 20 was published.[11] The party received about 2.8% 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'.[8]
Naming[edit]
The name of the party is inspired by Unidad Popular, the Chilean political alliance led by Salvador Allende.[12]
Policies[edit]
The party favours Greek withdrawal from the eurozone and reinstating the drachma as Greece's national currency.[6] 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.[9]
Members of parliament before September 2015 election[edit]
The 26 Members of the Hellenic Parliament, that all defected from Syriza, are, in alphabetical order:[13]
- Litsa Ammanatidou-Paschalidou
- Despina Haralambidou
- Kostas Delimitros
- Evangelos Diamantopoulos
- Ioanna Gaitani
- Ilias Ioannidis
- Kostas Isihos
- Thomas Kotsias
- Michail Kritsotakis
- Vassilios Kyriakakis
- Aglaia Kyritsi
- Panagiotis Lafazanis
- Costas Lapavitsas
- Stathis Leoutsakos
- Rachil Makri
- Evgenia Ouzounidou
- Thanasis Petrakos
- Elena Psarrea
- Stefanos Samoilis
- Thanasis Skoumas
- Ioannis Stathas
- Dimitrios Stratoulis
- Alexandra Tsanaka
- Nadia Valavani
- Zissis Zannas
- Ioannis Zerdelis
Components[edit]
Popular Unity was created by political factions which mainly came from SYRIZA, but some came from ANTARSYA. Below are some of the factions
- Left Platform (ex-members of SYRIZA)
- Communist Tendency (ex-members of SYRIZA)
- Start – Socialist Internationalist Organisation
- Plan B
- Intervention (ex-members of Communist Organization of Greece)
- Left Recomposition (ex-members of ANTARSYA)
- Left Anti-capitalist Group (ex-members of ANTARSYA)
- Left Radical Movement (ex-members of SYRIZA and SYRIZA Youth)
- I Don't Pay Movement
- Active Citizens (ex-members of SYRIZA) (led by M. Glezos)
- Democratic Social Movement (ex-members of SYRIZA)
- New Fighter (ex-members of SYRIZA)
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ "Lafazanis: Greek rebel with a eurosceptic cause". EUBusiness. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ "SYRIZA rebels clash with gov’t as parties prepare to draft candidate lists". Kathimerini. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ "Greece's new far-left party to seek mandate to form govt". Kathimerini. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ http://news.in.gr/greece/article/?aid=1500020468
- ^ a b c "Greece crisis: Syriza rebels form new Popular Unity party". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ a b Yardley, Jim (21 August 2015). "In a Twist, Europe May Find Itself Relying on Success of Alexis Tsipras of Greece". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Popular Unity: Not Popular Enough to Take a Seat in Greek Parliament". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ a b Kouvelakis, Stathis (21 August 2015). "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine.
- ^ "Greece PM opts for limited reshuffle". ekathimerini-com. Kathimerini. July 17, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ^ 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, Table of content + some quotations in German: http://theoriealspraxis.blogsport.de/2015/09/03/das-wahlprogramm-der-griech-lae-volkseinheit/.
- ^ "Greece rebels form new party ahead of snap polls". AFP. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ "MPs > Per Parliamentary Group > LAIKI ENOTITA". Hellenic Parliament. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
External links[edit]
- Stathis Kouvelakis; Thomas Lemahieu (27 August 2015). "Aucune illusion sur le carcan de l’euro". L'Humanité (in French). Retrieved 2015-09-04.
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