Syriza Youth

Syriza Youth (Greek: Νεολαία ΣΥΡΙΖΑ) is the youth organisation of the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) in Greece. Founded in 2013, it was a member of the European Network of Democratic Young Left (Endyl).

Syriza Youth
Νεολαία ΣΥΡΙΖΑ
National Council SecretarySotiris Alexiou
Founded22 December 2013 (2013-12-22)
Preceded bySYN Youth
HeadquartersThemistokleous 52, Exarcheia, Athens
IdeologyDemocratic socialism
Eco-socialism
Socialism
Mother partyCoalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA)
Websitewww.neolaiasyriza.gr

Formation

The Syriza Youth was founded when the largely bottom-up structure of Young Syriza (Νέοι–Νέες ΣΥΡΙΖΑ) groups and the Synaspismos Youth united forming a nationwide organisation.[1]

At the founding conference on 19–22 December 2013,[2] 522 delegates of the 128 local groups both in Greece and abroad convened in Kerameikos, Athens. The four-day conference was also attended by a number of Syriza leaders including party secretary Dimitris Vitsas and parliamentary spokesman Panagiotis Kouroumplis.[3]

On 22 December, the delegates ratified the final text of the founding declaration on the first ballot. Inner-organisational tensions however culminated when the "Left Platform" opposed the final text arguing that it lacked a clear political position as a government of the Left should not accept any compromise with its creditors. The "Left Movement" voted blank after their "Charter of the Rights of Youth" had been rejected as an amendment by a majority of the delegates.[4]

The delegates concluded with the election of 67 members of the organisation's first Central Council with the more pragmatic factions winning a clear majority.[5] Four additional members remained to be appointed as honorary members.[4]

First election of the Syriza Youth Central Council, December 2013
List nameVotes%Members
Founding declaration–Reconstruction
(Ιδρυτική Διακήρυξη-Ανασύνθεση)		23147,43%32
Left Movement
(Αριστερή Κίνηση)		17135,11%24
Left Platform
(Αριστερή Πλατφόρμα)		7415,2%10
Communist Tendency
(Κομμουνιστική Τάση)		112,26%1
Total elected487100%67
blank votes16
invalid ballots1
4 additional members are appointed as Honorary members (Αριστίνδην).
Source: I Avgi[4]

Founding Declaration

By its founding declaration the organisation defines itself as being part of the radical left that participates in the class struggle striving to abolish all kinds of exploitation and aiming at a Socialism of the 21st century. The organisation's manifesto includes ten positions:

  1. struggle for young peoples' rights
  2. anti-fascism
  3. alternative, non-commercial culture
  4. feminism against patriarchy
  5. pro strengthening of democratic and social rights
  6. anti-racism against the "Fortress Europe"
  7. ecological orientation
  8. struggle for public space appropriation
  9. requests free access to amateur sports
  10. support solidarity economy.[6]

Syriza Youth upholds a quota of one third for young women to participate in all organisational bodies.[7]

Local and international branches

Apart from branches all over Greece, the Syriza Youth also has a number of international branches in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.[8]

Dissolution

On 1 September 2015, 38 out of 71 members of the Syriza Youth central council, including the national secretary Elias Panteleakοs, resigned, withdrawing their support for Syriza in the forthcoming elections.[9]

References
  1. Christos, Simos (15 December 2013). Ούτε βεβαιότητες αυτάρκειας ούτε υποκατάσταση του κινήματος [Neither self-sufficiency nor substitution of movement] (in Greek). I Avgi. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  2. Αρχίζει απόψε η 1η Πανελλαδική Συνδιάσκεψη των Νέων του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ [Tonight the 1st Panhellenic Conference of SYRIZA Youth begins] (in Greek). I Avgi. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  3. Christos, Simos (20 December 2013). Ταυτότητα είναι οι αγώνες μας [Identity is our struggle] (in Greek). I Avgi. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  4. Christos, Simos (24 December 2013). Ιδρύθηκε η Νεολαία ΣΥΡΙΖΑ [SYRZA Youth is founded] (in Greek). I Avgi. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  5. ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Απέκτησε νεολαία – Κετρικό Συμβούλιο με 71 μέλη [SYRIZA: Gained a youth – Central Council with 71 members] (in Greek). To Vima. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  6. "About Us". SYRIZA Youth. SYRIZA Youth. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  7. Paschali, Elektra (2012). Masculinities in Politics. Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 75. ISBN 978-3-643-90460-7. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  8. "Organizations". SYRIZA Youth. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  9. "Why We Broke With Syriza". Jacobin. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
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