Syriza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance
Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία
Sinaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía |
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| Abbreviation | ΣΥΡΙΖΑ SYRIZA |
| President | Stefanos Kasselakis |
| General Secretary | Rania Svigkou |
| Parliamentary Group Leader and Leader of the Opposition | Sokratis Famellos |
| Parliamentary Group Secretary | Dionysis Kalamatianos |
| Parliamentary Representatives |
See list
Nikos Pappas
Theodora Tzakri |
| Press Representative | Dora Avgeri |
| Founded | 15 January 2004 |
| Registered | 22 May 2012 |
| Preceded by | Synaspismos |
| Headquarters | Eleftherias Sq. 1, 105 53 Athens |
| Newspaper | I Avgi |
| Think tank | Nicos Poulantzas Institute |
| Youth wing | SYRIZA Youth |
| Membership (2022) |  172,000 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
| European affiliation | Party of the European Left |
| European Parliament group | The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL |
| Colours | Pink |
| Slogan | Δίκαιη Κοινωνία. Ευημερία για Όλους. Dikaie Koinonia. Evimeria gia Olous ("Just Society. Prosperity for All.") |
| Hellenic Parliament |
36 / 300
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| European Parliament |
4 / 21
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| Regional governors |
1 / 13
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| Regional councillors |
55 / 611
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| Mayors |
3 / 332
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| Party flag | |
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The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance, often called SYRIZA, is a political party in Greece. Its full name in Greek is Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía. The name SYRIZA is a play on a Greek word meaning "from the roots" or "radically".
SYRIZA started in 2004 as a group of different left-wing parties. In 2012, it officially became a single political party. It is known for its democratic socialism and progressivism. The party supports LGBT rights and secularism, which means keeping government separate from religion.
SYRIZA is currently the second largest party in the Hellenic Parliament, which is Greece's main law-making body. Alexis Tsipras, a former leader of SYRIZA, was the Prime Minister of Greece from 2015 to 2019. The party is also part of the Party of the European Left, a group of similar parties in Europe.
Contents
Party History
How SYRIZA Started
SYRIZA began in 2004, but its roots go back to 2001. At that time, different left-wing groups in Greece started talking and working together. They had different ideas but agreed on important issues. For example, they were against the Kosovo War and the selling off of state-owned businesses. They also wanted to protect social rights.
This cooperation helped these groups work together on other topics. They opposed changes to the pension system and new anti-terrorism laws. They also wanted to rethink Greece's role in the European Union. This teamwork led to some successful local election campaigns in 2002.
The 2004 Election
The idea of forming SYRIZA became real for the 2004 election. Many of the groups decided to create a common plan and form an alliance. This led to the official creation of the Coalition of the Radical Left in January 2004.
Several parties joined this coalition. The biggest one was Synaspismos. Other groups included the Renewing Communist Ecological Left and Active Citizens. In the 2004 election, the coalition won 3.3% of the votes and got six members into parliament. All six were from Synaspismos, which caused some arguments within the new coalition.
Challenges and Growth
After the 2004 election, some smaller parties felt that Synaspismos did not keep its promises. This caused tension, and some groups even split. However, the crisis ended in December 2004. Synaspismos decided to continue the coalition.
Things got better when Alekos Alavanos, a strong supporter of the coalition, became the new president of Synaspismos. The coalition also grew stronger by hosting the 4th European Social Forum in Athens in 2006. They also had successful local election campaigns. In Athens, Alexis Tsipras led the coalition's ticket, showing a focus on new, younger leaders.
The 2007 Election
Before the 2007 election, polls suggested SYRIZA would do well. On September 16, 2007, the party won 5.0% of the votes. This was a good result for them. More parties joined the coalition before this election, making it even bigger.
Changes in Leadership
In 2007, Alekos Alavanos announced he would not seek to be president of Synaspismos again. On February 10, 2008, Alexis Tsipras was elected as the new party president. Tsipras was a municipal councillor in Athens at the time. He became very popular with Greek voters, and support for SYRIZA grew.
In the 2009 European Parliament election, SYRIZA's support dropped slightly. In the 2009 Greek election, they won 4.6% of the vote and got thirteen members into parliament. Tsipras then became SYRIZA's leader in parliament. In 2010, some members left the party to form a new one called the Democratic Left. This reduced SYRIZA's number of MPs.
Becoming a Single Party
The 2012 Elections
In 2012, many voters moved away from the parties that had been in government. SYRIZA gained a lot of public support. In the May 2012 election, the party won over 16% of the votes. This quadrupled their number of seats, making them the second largest party in parliament.
After this election, Tsipras tried to form a government but could not get enough support. For the next election in June 2012, SYRIZA officially registered as a single party. This was important because it allowed them to get 50 "bonus" seats given to the party with the most votes. In the June election, SYRIZA got almost 27% of the vote. They became the main opposition party.
SYRIZA as a United Party
In July 2013, SYRIZA held a big meeting to discuss how the party should be organized. They decided that the different groups within SYRIZA should become one single party. Tsipras was confirmed as the chairman.
In its founding statement, SYRIZA said it wanted to be a party that included many different ideas. It aimed to support workers and common people, and also focus on feminist and environmental goals. It wanted to bring together various left-wing groups, from communists to socialists and environmentalists.
The 2014 Elections
In May 2014, Greece held local elections and elections for the European Parliament. In the European Parliament election, SYRIZA came in first place with 26.5% of the votes. In local elections, they had some success, like electing Rena Dourou as the governor of the Attica region.
The Thessaloniki Programme
On September 13, 2014, SYRIZA introduced the Thessaloniki Programme. This was a plan with their main ideas for changing the economy and politics.
The January 2015 Election
In January 2015, Greece held another election. SYRIZA was leading in the polls. The party won the election with 36.3% of the vote, getting 149 out of 300 seats. This made them the largest party in the Greek Parliament.
After the election, many leaders from other countries congratulated Tsipras. Some European officials expressed concerns about SYRIZA's stance on economic policies.
Forming a Government
On January 26, 2015, Tsipras and the leader of the Independent Greeks (ANEL) party agreed to form a government together. Tsipras became the Prime Minister of Greece.
Party Split and September 2015 Election
Later in 2015, SYRIZA's government accepted a new agreement about Greece's debt. Some SYRIZA members disagreed with this decision. About 25 members of parliament left the party to form a new one called Popular Unity.
Because he lost his majority in parliament, Tsipras resigned as Prime Minister in August 2015. New elections were called for September 20. SYRIZA won again, getting 145 seats. Tsipras formed a government again with ANEL.
The 2019 Elections
In May 2019, SYRIZA lost votes in the European Parliament election and local elections. Because of this, Tsipras called for a quick election. In the September 2019 election, SYRIZA was defeated and became the main opposition party.
The 2023 Elections
In the May 2023 election, SYRIZA lost by a large amount but remained the second-largest party. Since no party won enough seats to form a government, another election was held in June 2023. SYRIZA's votes dropped further, but they still kept their position as the main opposition.
After these elections, Alexis Tsipras resigned as party leader. Stefanos Kasselakis was then elected as the new leader. Kasselakis said he wanted SYRIZA to become more like the U.S. Democratic Party, moving towards the centre-left.
Kasselakis's Leadership and New Splits
When Stefanos Kasselakis became leader, he started to change the party's direction. He wanted SYRIZA to be a modern, patriotic, left-wing party. He also wanted to connect directly with voters, without always going through the party's older structures.
His business background and quick rise caused some disagreements with older party members. Some members who disagreed with him were asked to leave the party. In November 2023, 45 members of the party's Central Committee and two members of parliament left SYRIZA. Among them were former ministers. Those who left later formed a new party called New Left.
Party Beliefs
SYRIZA started as a way to bring together different left-wing and radical left groups. Its main ideas come from democratic socialism. This means they believe in democracy and also in making society fairer for everyone, often through government action. They are also influenced by Marxism, which is a way of thinking about society, economics, and politics.
SYRIZA has been called an "anti-establishment" party, meaning it challenged the usual way things were done. While they used to be seen as more radical, they have become more of a mainstream centre-left party over time.
The party's goals include:
- Dealing with global problems like pandemics and climate change. They believe these issues need solutions that involve everyone.
- Challenging the idea of "neoliberalism," which is an economic approach that favors less government involvement and more private business. SYRIZA believes this approach harms the environment and leads to unfairness.
- Protecting public services like health, education, and social security.
- Making sure that natural resources like land, water, and forests are not just used for profit.
SYRIZA's current leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, has said that while the party respects its history, it needs to find new answers for today's problems. He mentioned issues like Artificial Intelligence, the climate crisis, and big global changes. He believes the party should be inspired by past left-wing ideas but also create new paths for the future.
Groups Within SYRIZA
Umbrella Group
The "Umbrella" group, also known as the Group of 53, was a faction within SYRIZA. They were often seen as being between the more extreme left-wing views and the views of Alexis Tsipras's main supporters. Important members included Euclid Tsakalotos. This group was the main internal opposition to Tsipras's leadership after 2015. In November 2023, many members of the Umbrella group left the party.
Left Platform
The Left Platform was another group within SYRIZA. They were on the far-left side of the party. In August 2015, 25 members of parliament from the Left Platform left SYRIZA. They formed a new party called Popular Unity.
Former Member Parties
SYRIZA became a single party by combining many smaller groups. Some of these groups later decided to dissolve and fully merge into SYRIZA. Others left the party after 2015 due to disagreements.
Here are some of the parties that were part of SYRIZA:
- Active Citizens
- Anticapitalist Political Group
- Coalition of Left, of Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos)
- Democratic Social Movement
- Internationalist Workers' Left
- Movement for the United in Action Left
- Renewing Communist Ecological Left
- And many other smaller groups and independent activists.
Election Results
Greek Parliament Elections
| Election | Hellenic Parliament | Rank | Government | Leader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Seats won | +/− | ||||
| 2004A | 241,539 | 3.3% | +0.1 |
6 / 300
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6 |
4th | Opposition | Nikos Konstantopoulos |
| 2007 | 361,211 | 5.0% | +1.7 |
14 / 300
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8 |
4th | Alekos Alavanos | |
| 2009 | 315,627 | 4.6% | –0.4 |
13 / 300
|
 1 |
5th | Alexis Tsipras | |
| May 2012 | 1,061,265 | 16.8% | +12.2 |
52 / 300
|
39 |
2nd | ||
| Jun 2012 | 1,655,022 | 26.9% | +10.1 |
71 / 300
|
19 |
2nd | ||
| Jan 2015B | 2,245,978 | 36.3% | +8.5 |
149 / 300
|
78 |
1st | Coalition government (SYRIZA–ANEL) |
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| Sep 2015 | 1,925,904 | 35.5% | –0.8 |
145 / 300
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4 |
1st | Coalition government (SYRIZA–ANEL) |
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| 2019 | 1,781,174 | 31.5% | –4.0 |
86 / 300
|
59 |
2nd | Opposition | |
| May 2023 | 1,184,500 | 20.1% | –11.4 |
71 / 300
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15 |
2nd | Snap election | |
| June 2023 | 929,373 | 17.8% | –2.3 |
47 / 300
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23 |
2nd | Opposition | |
A 2004 results are compared to the Synaspismos totals in the 2000 election.
B January 2015 results are compared to the combined totals for Syriza and OP totals in the June 2012 election.
European Parliament Elections
| European Parliament | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Votes | % | ±pp | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Leader |
| 2009A | 240,898 | 4.7% | +0.5 |
1 / 22
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1 |
5th | Alexis Tsipras |
| 2014 | 1,518,608 | 26.6% | +21.9 |
6 / 21
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5 |
1st | |
| 2019 | 1,204,083 | 23.8% | –2.8 |
6 / 21
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 0 |
2nd | |
| 2024 | 593,133 | 14.9% | -8.9 |
4 / 21
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2 |
2nd | Stefanos Kasselakis |
A 2009 results are compared to the Synaspismos totals in the 2004 election.
European Representatives
As of May 2023, SYRIZA has two members in the European Parliament:
- Elena Kountoura
- Kostas Arvanitis
Party Leaders
| No. | Leader | Portrait | Term of office | Prime Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikos Konstantopoulos | 15 January 2004 | 12 December 2004 | – | ||
| 2 | Alekos Alavanos | 12 December 2004 | 11 February 2008 | |||
| 3 | Alexis Tsipras | 11 February 2008 | 24 September 2023 | 2015–2019 | ||
| 4 | Stefanos Kasselakis | 24 September 2023 | Incumbent | |||
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Party Symbols
From 2004 to 2020, SYRIZA used three colored flags: Red for Socialism, Green for Ecology, and Purple for Feminism. After 2020, the party changed its logo and symbol to a star. This star is made from the Greek letters Σ (Sigma) and Υ (Upsilon), which are the first two letters of SYRIZA.
Logos
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Party logo, 2004–2012
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Party logo, 2012–2020
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Current logo, since 2020
See also
In Spanish: Coalición de la Izquierda Radical para niños
