Syriza rebels split to form new party
Print Edition
Rebels opposed to Greece’s international bailout walked out of the leftist Syriza party yesterday, formalizing a split after its leader Alexis Tsipras resigned as prime minister and paved the way for early elections.
Greece’s president gave the conservative opposition a chance to form a new government following Tsipras’s resignation on Thursday, but the country appears almost certain to be heading for its third election in as many years next month.
Tsipras is hoping to strengthen his hold on power in a snap election after seven months in office in which he fought Greece’s creditors for a better bailout deal but had to cave in and accept more onerous terms.
One day after money began flowing from Greece’s third bailout program, a much-needed period of political and economic certainty remained as elusive as ever, drawing concerned calls from the eurozone that Athens must stick to commitments given under the rescue deal.
New party formed
Far left Syriza members, who oppose the promises of yet more austerity and economic reform that Tsipras made to secure 86 billion euros (US$97 billion) in bailout loans, broke away to form a new party.
A deputy speaker of parliament announced the new party would be called Popular Unity and headed by former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, who was fired by Tsipras earlier this year for refusing to back the government.
One of the new party’s members, lawmaker and economist Costas Lapavitsas, noted Greeks had voted overwhelmingly in June against a bailout deal offered by the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund. But soon after the referendum, Tsipras performed a U-turn to save the financial system and Greece’s future in the eurozone.
“We want to give a voice to the 62 percent of the people who said ‘No’ and do not want bailouts,” Lapavitsas told ERT TV. “We see strong support from the people who feel betrayed.”
With 25 lawmakers, the party will be the third largest bloc in Greece’s 300-seat parliament, albeit far behind Syriza which had 149 before the split.
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