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      Alexis Tsipras, leader of the radical leftist Syriza party campaigns at a pre-election rally ahead of the nation's general election on January 22, 2015 in Athens, Greece.

      The Rise and Fall of Greece’s Radical-in-Name-Only Syriza Party

      Lack of experience in governance, ideological confusion, severe structural constraints, crude political opportunism, and broken promises guaranteed that Syriza’s downfall was just a matter of time.

      C.J. Polychroniou
      May 25, 2023

      On January 25, 2015, Greece’s left-wing party Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left), which subscribed to no particular ideology but ran an election campaign that vowed to end the sadistic austerity measures that had been imposed on Greece by its international creditors, shred the bailout agreements into pieces, write off a big chuck of the debt, and create jobs for hundreds of thousands of unemployed, won the legislative elections by taking 36% of the popular vote. The result of the election sent shock waves through Europe’s political establishment and marked the return of hope for Greece and left-wing parties and movements around the world.

      It was indeed a historic victory for the Left, especially considering the fact that, ten years earlier, Syriza was struggling to gain just a few seats in the Greek parliament. The Communist Party of Greece was far more popular than the Coalition of the Radical Left, whose ranks included an array of leftists ranging from Trotskyists, Maoists, and neo-Marxists to greens and feminists. Indeed, while the Communist party had solid links with working-class people and exerted decisive influence on trade union activism, Syriza’s “impact on civil society was confined to the ideological attraction that it had for a small segment of the academia."

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      greece
      As Greek Right Regains Power, Applause as Varoufakis-Led MeRA25 Wins First-Ever Seats in Parliament

      As Greek Right Regains Power, Applause as Varoufakis-Led MeRA25 Wins First-Ever Seats in Parliament

      "As of today, we embark upon a steadfast campaign against the most parasitic and cruel form of oligarchy that New Democracy will strive to erect upon the foundation of Mr. Tsipras's bailout agreement."

      Jake Johnson
      Jul 08, 2019

      There were few reasons for progressives in Greece to celebrate Sunday as the right-wing New Democracy Party cruised to a resounding snap election victory--ousting the Syriza government that has long been condemned for betraying its anti-austerity mandate--but one "silver lining" was the strong performance of the nascent leftist party MeRA25, founded by former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis.

      MeRA25, the Greek arm of the European DiEM25 movement, won nine seats in Greece's parliament, far exceeding expectations and allowing Varoufakis to head what one observer described as a "small but credible left-wing opposition."

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      Yanis Varoufakis
      Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis

      Greece's Varoufakis to Launch Pan-European Progressive Movement

      Democracy in Europe Movement 2025, or DiEM 25, is billed as an alternative to prevailing authoritarianism and austerity

      Lauren Mccauley
      Jan 05, 2016

      Hoping to show Europeans they have an alternative to the prevailing system of "authoritarianism" and austerity, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has announced a new cross-continent movement with a "simple, common agenda:" To democratize Europe.

      The movement, known as the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (or DiEM 25), will be launched on February 9 at Berlin's Volksbuhne theater.

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      Yanis Varoufakis
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