Popular Unity (Greece)

Popular Unity
Λαϊκή Ενότητα - Ανυπότακτη Αριστερά
AbbreviationΛΑΕ
(LAE)
LeadersDimitris Stratoulis, Marianna Tsixli
Founded21 August 2015 (2015-08-21)
Split fromSYRIZA
IdeologySocialism[1][2]
Euroscepticism[1][2][3]
Political positionLeft-wing[4][5] to far-left[1][6]
ColoursRed
Hellenic Parliament
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European Parliament
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Regional governors
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Regional councillors
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Party flag
Website
laiki-enotita.gr Edit this at Wikidata

Popular Unity - Insubordinate Left (Greek: Λαϊκή Ενότητα - Ανυπότακτη Αριστερά (ΛΑΕ - AA), Laïkí Enótita - Anipótakti Aristera, LAE - ΑΑ) 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.

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.[7] It was led by the former Minister of Energy in the Tsipras cabinet, Panagiotis Lafazanis.[8] Dimitris Stratoulis (former Alternate Minister of Social Security) and Costas Isychos (former Alternate Minister of National Defence), who were sacked in July 2015,[9] also joined the new party.

September 2015 election

On 2 September 2015, the party programme for the snap election on September 20 was published.[10] 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'.[11]

2023 election

Popular Unity contested the 2023 legislative elections in a coalition with MeRA25, as part of the "Alliance for Rupture".[12]

Naming

The name of the party is inspired by Popular Unity, the Chilean political alliance led by Salvador Allende.[13]

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.[7]

Election results

Hellenic Parliament

Election Hellenic Parliament Rank Leader
Votes % ±pp Seats won +/−
September 2015 155,320 2.86% New
0 / 300
N/A #9 Panagiotis Lafazanis
2019 15,930 0.28% -2.58
0 / 300
Steady #13

European Parliament

European Parliament
Election Votes % ±pp Seats won +/− Rank Leader
2019 31,671 0.56% N/A
0 / 21
#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:[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2015). "Greece". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Lafazanis: Greek rebel with a eurosceptic cause". EUBusiness. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Greece crisis: Syriza rebels form new Popular Unity party". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b "SYRIZA rebels clash with gov't as parties prepare to draft candidate lists". Kathimerini. 22 August 2015. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Greece's new far-left party to seek mandate to form govt". Kathimerini. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b Kouvelakis, Stathis (21 August 2015). "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  8. ^ Yardley, Jim (21 August 2015). "In a Twist, Europe May Find Itself Relying on Success of Alexis Tsipras of Greece". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Greece PM opts for limited reshuffle". ekathimerini-com. Kathimerini. July 17, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  10. ^ 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 Archived 2024-01-05 at the Wayback Machine, Table of content + some quotations in German: http://theoriealspraxis.blogsport.de/2015/09/03/das-wahlprogramm-der-griech-lae-volkseinheit/ Archived 2016-01-19 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Solanke, Simi (20 September 2015). "Popular Unity: Not Popular Enough to Take a Seat in Greek Parliament". Greekreporter.com. Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  12. ^ Kouvelakis, Stathis (19 May 2023). "Greece's Radical Left Is Fighting to Overcome Syriza's Legacy". Jacobin. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "MPs > Per Parliamentary Group > LAIKI ENOTITA". Hellenic Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.