Tsipras presents SYRIZA’s programme after visit with Pavlopoulos

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' meeting with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos this afternoon the result of which is the dissolution of Parliament and the proclamation of a general election for 7 July marks the formal start of the electoral campaign.

The prime minister's rationale for calling the snap election is the course of the Greek economy and the need to stabilise it.

Tsipras scrapped plans to hold elections in October at the end of his government's term after losing the 26 May European Parliament election to New Democracy by a margin of 9.3 percentage points.

The PM's presentation of SYRIZA's programme at the Megaron Mousikis (Athens Concert Hall) is focused on four basic pillars: Labor issues (including the reinstatement of collective bargaining contracts) and social insurance, the economy and taxation, the social welfare state, and economic growth with the creation of new jobs.

In these areas the campaign will focus on the dire situation that prevailed when SYRIZA came to power in January, 2015 and will juxtapose SYRIZA's programme with that of New Democracy, which Tsipras routinely characterises as neo-liberal.

Focus on forgotten, decimated middle class

With the result of the European election having demonstrates that his social benefits and tax cuts package announced on 8 May did not persuade voters, Tsipras' campaign strategy will focus on the large swathe of middle class voters which had supported SYRIZA in 2015 but feel betrayed by the over-taxation imposed by the government, the deep pension cuts for future retirees, high insurance contributions, and a long list of unfulfilled campaign promises.

The PM will stress the fact that the country exited the third and last bailout memorandum on his...