Union of Centrists

Union of Centrists
Ένωση Κεντρώων
Enosi Kentroon
Abbreviation ΕΚ
Leader Vassilis Leventis
Founded 2 March 1992
Headquarters 28 Karolou St.
122 42 Athens
Newspaper Antidiaploki
(Greek: Αντιδιαπλοκή)
Youth wing Youth Union of Centrists
Ideology National liberalism
Liberalism[1]
Economic liberalism[1]
Pro-Europeanism
Social conservatism
Political position Centre[1]
European affiliation European Democratic Party
Colours      Orange
Parliament
5 / 300
European Parliament
0 / 21
Regions
0 / 703
Website
http://www.antidiaploki.gr

The Union of Centrists (Greek: Ένωση Κεντρώων, Enosi Kentroon) is a centrist[1] and liberal political party in Greece. The leader and founder of the party is Vassilis Leventis. It strongly supports Greece's remaining an integral part of the European Union.

History

The party was founded by Vassilis Leventis in 1992 under the title "Union of Centrists and Ecologists" (Greek: Ένωση Κεντρώων και Οικολόγων). The name was changed shortly after. The Union of Centrists claims to be the ideological continuation of the old party Centre Union.

The party strives to become "the political continuance of the centrist expression in Greece". Leventis aimed to become part of the Venizelist legacy of some Greek politicians of the past, such as Eleftherios Venizelos and George Papandreou (senior).

Electoral support

Until 2015, the party's influence was marginal, with 1.79% of the total vote in the Greek legislative election, January 2015 and no MPs being its highest achievement. In the Greek legislative election, September 2015 the party cleared the 3% hurdle for representation in the Greek Parliament with 9 MPs after it won 186,457 votes (3.43%).[2] 2 MPs left the parliamentary group: Georgios Dimitrios Karras in November 2016 and Theodora Megaloeconomou in July 2017, the latter becoming a Syriza MP in January 2018. The party has currently 5 MPs.[3][4]

Party's electoral results

A sample cover of the party's newspaper Antidiaploki.
Results since 1993
(year links to election page)
Year Type of Election Votes % Mandates
1993 Parliament 15,942 0.23 -
1994 European Parliament 77,951 1.19 -
1996 Parliament 48,677 0.72 -
1999 European Parliament 52,512 0.82 -
2000 Parliament 23,228 0.34 -
2004 Parliament 19,531 0.26 -
2004 European Parliament 34,511 0.56 -
2007 Parliament 20,822 0.29 -
2009 European Parliament 19,660 0.38 -
2009 Parliament 18,278 0.27 -
May 2012 Parliament 38,376 0.61 -
June 2012 Parliament 17,191 0.28 -
2014 European Parliament 36,879 0.65 -
January 2015 Parliament 110,827 1.79 -
September 2015 Parliament 186,457 3.43 9

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nordsieck, Wolfram (2015). "Greece". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  2. ↑ "Greek Elections: New Poll Shows Slight New Democracy Lead Over SYRIZA". GreekReporter. 3 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Centrists Union MP Megaloeconomou becomes independent". The Greek Observer. 10 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "Centrists Union MP Karras becomes independent". ERT. 30 November 2016.
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