Popular Unity (Greece)

Popular Unity
Λαϊκή Ενότητα
Abbreviation ΛΑΕ
(LAE)
Leader Panagiotis Lafazanis
Founded 21 August 2015 (2015-08-21)
Split from SYRIZA
Ideology Socialism[1][2]
Euroscepticism[1][2][3]
Left-wing populism
Political position Left-wing[4][5] to far-left[1][6]
European affiliation None
International affiliation None
European Parliament group European United Left/Nordic Green Left
Colours Red
Slogan 'ΟΧΙ στο Ευρώ της καταστροφής!
(NO to the disastrous Euro!)
Hellenic Parliament
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European Parliament
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Regional Governors
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Website
laiki-enotita.gr

Popular Unity (Greek: Λαϊκή Ενότητα (ΛΑΕ), Laïkí Enótita, LAE) 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. 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]

History

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.[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

On 2 September 2015, the party programme for the snap election on September 20 was published.[11] 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'.[8]

Naming

The name of the party is inspired by Popular Unity, the Chilean political alliance led by Salvador Allende.[12]

Policies

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.[9]

Members of parliament before September 2015 election

The 26 Members of the Hellenic Parliament, that all defected from Syriza, were, 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

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 Nordsieck, Wolfram (2015). "Greece". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  3. ↑ "Lafazanis: Greek rebel with a eurosceptic cause". EUBusiness. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Greece crisis: Syriza rebels form new Popular Unity party". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 "SYRIZA rebels clash with gov't as parties prepare to draft candidate lists". Kathimerini. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Greece's new far-left party to seek mandate to form govt". Kathimerini. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 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.
  8. 1 2 "Popular Unity: Not Popular Enough to Take a Seat in Greek Parliament". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  9. 1 2 Kouvelakis, Stathis (21 August 2015). "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine.
  10. ↑ "Greece PM opts for limited reshuffle". ekathimerini-com. Kathimerini. July 17, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. ↑ 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/.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "MPs > Per Parliamentary Group > LAIKI ENOTITA". Hellenic Parliament. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  • 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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