Popular Unity (Greece)
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Popular Unity Λαϊκή Ενότητα | |
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Abbreviation | ΛΑΕ (LAE) |
Leader | Nikolaos Chountis |
Founded | 21 August 2015 |
Split from | SYRIZA |
Ideology | Socialism[1][2] Euroscepticism[1][2][3] Left-wing populism Left-wing nationalism |
Political position | Left-wing[4][5] to far-left[1][6] |
European Parliament group | European United Left/Nordic Green Left |
Colours | Red |
Slogan | 'ΟΧΙ στο Ευρώ της καταστροφής! (NO to the disastrous Euro!) |
Hellenic Parliament | 0 / 300 |
European Parliament | 0 / 21 |
Regional Governors | 0 / 13 |
Regional Councilors | 11 / 703 |
Website | |
laiki-enotita | |
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] (former Alternate Minister of Social Security) and (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]
Election results[]
Hellenic Parliament[]
Election | Hellenic Parliament | Rank | Leader | ||||
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Votes | % | ±pp | Seats won | +/− | |||
September 2015 | 155,320 | 2.86% | New | 0 / 300
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N/A | #9 | Panagiotis Lafazanis |
2019 | 15,930 | 0.28% | -2.58 | 0 / 300
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#13 |
European Parliament[]
European Parliament | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Election | Votes | % | ±pp | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Leader |
2019 | 31,671 | 0.56% | N/A | 0 / 21
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#22 | Panagiotis Lafazanis |
Members of Parliament[]
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:[13]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2015). "Greece". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Lafazanis: Greek rebel with a eurosceptic cause". EUBusiness. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Greece crisis: Syriza rebels form new Popular Unity party". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "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.
- ^ Jump up to: 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.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Popular Unity: Not Popular Enough to Take a Seat in Greek Parliament". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: 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. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ "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.
External links[]
- Official website (in Greek)
- Iskra
- Plan B
- The R Project
- Left-wing politics in Greece
- 2015 establishments in Greece
- Anti-capitalist political parties
- Left-wing nationalist parties
- Eurosceptic parties in Greece
- Parties represented in the European Parliament
- Political parties established in 2015
- Political schisms
- Socialist parties in Greece
- Syriza
- Left-wing parties
- Far-left politics in Greece
- Far-left political parties