Independent Greeks

Former Prime Minister and ex-leader of the main opposition SYRIZA party Alexis Tsipras voiced concerns about the surge of far-right populism in the Greek politics, during a panel discussion at the 9th Delphi Economic Forum on Thursday. 

The SYRIZA government was an accident of history. A farce. It arose when Greece went bankrupt and people's anger turned against - rightfully so - the parties that had ruled the country until then: PASOK and New Democracy.

The three parties to the right of New Democracy are negative about the possibility of Greece appealing to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to resolve its differences with Turkey. This became clear during the discussion of the government's goals for the new four-year term in Parliament last week.

An acrimonious public conflict has broken out between erstwhile allies SYRIZA and the former leader of the nationalist ANEL party, Panos Kammenos, who were partners in government between 2015 and 2019.

SYRIZA chief Alexis Tsipras refuted speculation that he may step down from the helm of the main opposition after suffering a second defeat in Sunday's ballot. 

"I will be judged the members of the party," Tsipras said in comments at SYRIZA headquarters in downtown Athens, indicating that a congress will be called within the next few months to decide on the leftists' fate.

Myrsini Zorba, a former culture minister, has passed away at the age of 74. The news of her death was announced on her Facebook page.

In a political culture where polarization reigns for no specific ideological reason, very often a political party's policies and personnel choices are determined by its rivals actions and personalities. In recent years, this has brought the extreme right to the center stage of politics.

The Greek government plans to introduce a legislative provision aimed at blocking the Greek National Party (Ellines), a far-right party founded by former MP Ilias Kasidiaris, from participating in the upcoming elections. 

On Thursday, government spokesperson Ioannis Oikonomou announced that this provision would be added to the final bill to be voted on before Easter. 

Ilias Kasidiaris in Athens, October 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/KOSTAS TSIRONIS

The Ellines party was founded in 2020 by a former member of the far-right Golden Dawn, Ilias Kasidiaris, who is currently serving a sentence for being part of a criminal organisation.

The political dispute between the government and the official opposition is shaping up as a clash between action and identity, between management and accusations, between reality and fairy tales. Common to both sides are their cynicism and the hyperbole with which they attack each other.