Alexis Tsipras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexis Tsipras
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| Aλέξης Τσίπρας | |
Tsipras in 2017
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| Prime Minister of Greece | |
| In office 21 September 2015 – 8 July 2019 |
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| President | Prokopis Pavlopoulos |
| Deputy | Yannis Dragasakis |
| Preceded by | Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou |
| Succeeded by | Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| In office 26 January 2015 – 27 August 2015 |
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| President | Karolos Papoulias Prokopis Pavlopoulos |
| Deputy | Yannis Dragasakis |
| Preceded by | Antonis Samaras |
| Succeeded by | Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 8 July 2019 – 29 June 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| Preceded by | Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| Succeeded by | Sokratis Famellos |
| In office 20 June 2012 – 26 January 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Antonis Samaras |
| Preceded by | Antonis Samaras |
| Succeeded by | Antonis Samaras |
| Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 20 October 2018 – 15 February 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Nikos Kotzias |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Katrougalos |
| President of Syriza | |
| In office 7 October 2009 – 24 September 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Alekos Alavanos |
| Succeeded by | Stefanos Kasselakis |
| President of Synaspismos | |
| In office 10 February 2008 – 10 July 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Alekos Alavanos |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the Hellenic Parliament | |
| Assumed office 4 October 2009 |
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| Constituency | Athens A (2009–2015) Heraklion (2015–2019) Achaea (2019–2023) Piraeus A (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 July 1974 Athens, Greece |
| Political party | Syriza (2009–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
KKE (1988–1991) Synaspismos (1999–2013) |
| Domestic partner | Peristera Baziana |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Kypseli, Athens |
| Education | National Technical University of Athens |
| Occupation |
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| Signature | .svg) |
Alexis Tsipras (born 28 July 1974) is a Greek politician. He was the Prime Minister of Greece from 2015 to 2019.
Tsipras was also the leader of the Greek political party Syriza from 2008 to 2023. He was the fourth prime minister to lead Greece during the country's big economic problems in the 2010s. At first, he spoke out against the tough money-saving rules put in place during this time. However, during his time as prime minister, Greece had to follow many strict economic measures, especially as part of a big financial help package from the European Union (EU) from 2015 to 2018.
Contents
Alexis Tsipras: Early Life and Education
Alexis Tsipras was born in Athens, Greece, on 28 July 1974. His father, Pavlos, was a builder. His mother, Aristi, was from a town called Eleftheroupoli in Greek Macedonia. His grandparents had moved to Greece from Turkey in 1923.
In the late 1980s, Tsipras joined the Communist Youth of Greece. In the early 1990s, when he was a high school student, he was very active in student protests. These protests were against new education plans. He became well-known as a spokesperson for the student movement.
Tsipras studied civil engineering at the National Technical University of Athens. He finished his studies in 2000. After that, he did further studies in planning how cities and areas grow. He worked as a civil engineer, mainly in Athens.
While at university, Tsipras was part of new left-wing groups. He was elected to lead the students' union for civil engineering. He also represented students on the University Senate. From 1995 to 1997, he was part of the National Students Union of Greece.
Political Journey: Before Becoming Prime Minister
After 1991, Tsipras stayed with the political group called Synaspismos. In May 1999, he became the first leader of the Synaspismos youth group. He was known for keeping the group's policies strong. He also took part in international protests against certain economic ideas. In December 2004, he joined the main party's Central Political Committee.
Tsipras first became well-known in Greek politics during the 2006 local elections. He ran for Mayor of Athens for the Syriza party. He came in third place, winning 10.51% of the votes. This earned him a seat on the Athens City Council.
In February 2008, Tsipras was elected leader of Synaspismos. He was 33 years old, making him the youngest leader of a Greek political party since 1931. In the 2009 election, he was elected to the Hellenic Parliament. He then became the head of the Syriza group in parliament.
Tsipras led Syriza in the 2012 elections. The party gained a lot of support. He then became the Leader of the Opposition. This meant he led the main party that was not in power.
In December 2013, Tsipras was suggested as a candidate for president of the European Commission. This was for the European Parliament elections in May 2014. He spoke in Berlin in 2014, saying he wanted a better future for all Europeans. He talked about the high unemployment rates in Europe after the financial crisis.
Alexis Tsipras as Prime Minister of Greece
First Time in Office (January–August 2015)
Tsipras led Syriza to win the general election on 25 January 2015. They almost won enough seats to govern alone. The next day, Tsipras made a deal with the Independent Greeks party to form a government together.
He became the youngest Prime Minister since 1865. He took a civil oath, meaning he promised to do his job without using a religious ceremony. This was a change from traditional Greek customs.
His first action as prime minister was to visit a memorial in Kaisariani. He laid red roses to remember people who were killed there in 1944.
Tsipras said his government's main goals were to help people in need in Greece. They also wanted to talk with the EU and the International Monetary Fund about Greece's loans. He also promised to stop some of the previous government's plans to sell off state-owned companies.
On 3 February, Tsipras visited Italy and met with the Italian Prime Minister. They both worried about the strict money-saving rules. They agreed that economic growth was the best way to solve the crisis.
In February, a group of finance ministers from countries using the Euro agreed to extend Greece's financial help for four months. Tsipras also planned a trip to Moscow to get support from Russia.
In June, Tsipras suggested new plans for Greece. These included raising the retirement age and changing the tax system. On 29 June, Greek banks closed, and Tsipras said they would stay shut to control how much money people could take out.
Public Vote on Bailout
On 27 June 2015, Tsipras announced a public vote. This vote would decide if Greece should accept the financial help conditions. These conditions were proposed by the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank.
Tsipras told people to vote "No." On 3 July, he spoke to a large crowd in Athens. He said that a "No" vote would not mean Greece leaving the Eurozone. He said, "On Sunday, we are not simply deciding to remain in Europe—we are deciding to live with dignity in Europe." The "No" vote won with 61.3%.
Bailout Agreement
After many days of talks, Tsipras reached an agreement with lenders on 13 July 2015. Greece would get a loan of 82 to 86 billion euros. In return, Greece had to increase taxes, change the pension system, and cut public spending. They also had to sell off 50 billion euros of state assets.
On 14 August, the Greek parliament approved the new financial help deal. Many members of Tsipras's own party voted against it. So, Tsipras had to rely on other parties to pass the deal. He said it was the best they could do given the situation.
Resignation
On 20 August 2015, Tsipras resigned as Prime Minister. This happened because some members of his own party disagreed with the bailout deal. He called for a quick election. After other parties could not form a government, an interim prime minister was appointed until the elections.
Second Time in Office (September 2015 – July 2019)
Re-election
In the election on 20 September, Tsipras and Syriza won again. They got 35.50% of the votes. This was enough to form a government with the ANEL party again.
Second Government's Actions
In October 2015, Tsipras fired Greece's top tax official. This was because she had given TV stations more time to pay a tax on advertising. The government's money-related plans caused some protests. Farmers threatened to bring their tractors to Athens, and pharmacists went on strike.
In November 2015, Tsipras visited a refugee camp in Lesbos. Protesters there, wearing life jackets, called for the European Union to help refugees safely.
Also in November 2015, Tsipras became the first Greek prime minister to visit Izmir in Turkey. He met with the Turkish Prime Minister. They agreed to work together on the refugee crisis.
In December 2015, Tsipras introduced a law allowing civil partnerships for same-sex couples. The Greek Parliament approved this law. In May 2018, a law was passed allowing adoption for same-sex couples.
In May 2016, new strict money-saving rules proposed by Tsipras were passed by Parliament. These laws increased taxes for people with middle and high incomes. They also cut pensions and reduced government spending. Tsipras defended these measures, saying they were part of the agreement with the EU. He said he hoped for an "economic spring" for Greece.
In July 2017, Tsipras said the Greek economy was getting better. He believed Greece would no longer need financial help by 2018. In October 2017, Tsipras met with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump supported a plan to help Greece with its debt.
Greece officially finished its three-year financial help program on 20 August 2018. This was a big moment for the country. Tsipras said, "A new day is dawning in our country, today is the beginning of a new era." He added that Greece had regained control over its own future.
In January 2019, Greece's Defence Minister resigned from the government. This was over a deal about the name of Macedonia. Despite this, Tsipras won a vote of confidence in parliament. This meant his government still had enough support. The Greek parliament then approved the Prespa Agreement. This agreement solved a long-standing disagreement and named Greece's northern neighbor North Macedonia.
Along with the strict economic measures, Alexis Tsipras had promised a "parallel program" of social changes. These aimed to balance the agreement with Europe with fighting poverty. Some of these changes included raising the minimum wage and increasing the budget for healthcare and education.
Syriza lost badly in the European election on 26 May 2019. After this defeat, new elections were called quickly. Syriza lost again in the 2019 legislative election. They also lost in the 2023 elections. Alexis Tsipras resigned on 29 June 2023. He said the party needed to change and become stronger.
Macedonian Naming Disagreement
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For many years, Greece and its northern neighbor, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, had a disagreement about its name. Greece believed the name "Macedonia" belonged to its own historical region.
In 2018, efforts to solve this disagreement increased. The Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, wanted to solve it. Talks began with the help of the United Nations.
Zaev announced that places named after ancient Macedonian heroes, like the "Alexander the Great airport," could be renamed. This was a sign of goodwill towards Greece. In return, Tsipras said Greece might agree to Macedonia joining certain European agreements.
In February 2018, the government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia stopped a program that had added many controversial statues and monuments to its capital city.
On 12 June 2018, Tsipras announced that an agreement had been reached with Zaev. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia would be renamed the Republic of North Macedonia. This new name would be used for all purposes. The agreement also said that the language would be called Macedonian, and the people would be called Macedonians. However, it made it clear that these people were not related to the ancient Greek civilization that lived in the region.
On 5 July, the parliament of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia approved the Prespa agreement. On 11 July, NATO invited North Macedonia to start talks to join their alliance. On 30 July, a public vote was approved to change the country's name. The vote to change the constitution passed on 11 January 2019. The name change became official after the Greek Parliament approved the Prespa agreement.
Personal Life
Tsipras is not married but has a long-term partner, Peristera "Betty" Baziana. She is an electrical and computer engineer. They met when they were 13 years old. They live together in Athens and have two sons. Their younger son's middle name, Ernesto, is a tribute to the revolutionary Che Guevara. Tsipras is a fan of football and supports the team Panathinaikos. He is an atheist. His cousin, Giorgos Tsipras, is also a politician in the Syriza party.
See Also
- Politics of Greece
- List of international prime ministerial trips made by Alexis Tsipras
