Popular Unity (Greece)

Popular Unity (Greek: Λαϊκή Ενότητα (ΛΑΕ), Laïkí Enótita, LAE) is a left-wing[4][5] political party in Greece.

Popular Unity

Λαϊκή Ενότητα
AbbreviationΛΑΕ
(LAE)
LeaderNikolaos Chountis
Founded21 August 2015 (2015-08-21)
Split fromSYRIZA
IdeologySocialism[1][2]
Euroscepticism[1][2][3]
Left-wing populism
Left-wing nationalism
Political positionLeft-wing[4][5] to far-left[1][6]
European Parliament groupEuropean United Left/Nordic Green Left
ColoursRed
Slogan'ΟΧΙ στο Ευρώ της καταστροφής!
(NO to the disastrous Euro!)
Hellenic Parliament
0 / 300
European Parliament
0 / 21
Regional Governors
0 / 13
Regional Councilors
11 / 703
Website
laiki-enotita.gr

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. It is led by the former Minister of Energy Panagiotis Lafazanis.[7] Due to receiving 2.86% (vs. the required 3%) of the popular vote in the September 2015 election it has no seats in the Parliament.[8]

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.[9] It is led by the former Minister of Energy in the Tsipras cabinet, Panagiotis Lafazanis.[7] Dimitris Stratoulis (former Alternate Minister of Social Security) and Costas Isychos (former Alternate Minister of National Defence), who were sacked in July 2015,[10] also joined the new party.

Election September 2015

On 2 September 2015, the party programme for the snap election on September 20 was published.[11] 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'.[8]

Naming

The name of the party is inspired by Popular Unity, the Chilean political alliance led by Salvador Allende.[12]

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.[9]

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
 #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:[13]

  • Litsa Ammanatidou-Paschalidou
  • Despina Haralambidou
  • Kostas Delimitros
  • Evangelos Diamantopoulos
  • Ioanna Gaitani
  • Ilias Ioannidis
  • Kostas Isihos
  • Thomas Kotsias
  • Michail Kritsotakis
  • Vassilios Kyriakakis
  • Aglaia Kyritsi
  • Panagiotis Lafazanis
  • Costas Lapavitsas
  • Stathis Leoutsakos
  • Rachil Makri
  • Evgenia Ouzounidou
  • Thanasis Petrakos
  • Elena Psarrea
  • Stefanos Samoilis
  • Thanasis Skoumas
  • Ioannis Stathas
  • Dimitrios Stratoulis
  • Alexandra Tsanaka
  • Nadia Valavani
  • Zissis Zannas
  • Ioannis Zerdelis

References
  1. "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  2. 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. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. "Greece crisis: Syriza rebels form new Popular Unity party". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. "SYRIZA rebels clash with gov't as parties prepare to draft candidate lists". Kathimerini. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. "Greece's new far-left party to seek mandate to form govt". Kathimerini. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. Yardley, Jim (21 August 2015). "In a Twist, Europe May Find Itself Relying on Success of Alexis Tsipras of Greece". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  8. "Popular Unity: Not Popular Enough to Take a Seat in Greek Parliament". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  9. Kouvelakis, Stathis (21 August 2015). "Introducing Popular Unity". Jacobin Magazine.
  10. "Greece PM opts for limited reshuffle". ekathimerini-com. Kathimerini. July 17, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. 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, Table of content + some quotations in German: http://theoriealspraxis.blogsport.de/2015/09/03/das-wahlprogramm-der-griech-lae-volkseinheit/.
  12. "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.
  13. "MPs > Per Parliamentary Group > LAIKI ENOTITA". Hellenic Parliament. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
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