Former prime minister Alexis Tsipras presented the Hellenic Left Alignment as a long term alternative pole capable of challenging ruling party New Democracy on equal terms.
Addressing a meeting of the party's Attica coordinating committees, Tsipras called on organizers to build a direct physical presence in neighborhoods across the country to complement their digital outreach.
He told committee members in Attica and across Greece that every social group asserting its rights must know where to find representatives of the alignment, known by its Greek acronym ELAS.
Tsipras led Greece as prime minister from 2015 to 2019 before establishing ELAS as a new political movement. New Democracy, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has held power in Athens since 2019.
Reflecting on the party's progress since its establishment, Tsipras described its achievements as a small miracle that brought hope to a cold and indifferent political scene. He said the arrival of ELAS unsettled the government, forcing officials to abandon plans for an easy election campaign in September, while also disrupting an opposition that had grown complacent despite obvious shortcomings.
Focus on economic policy and transparency
Tsipras stressed that his sole opponent consists of social problems and the right wing neoliberal policies that produce them, adding that ELAS was not created merely to occupy parliamentary seats. The party's central slogan focuses on changing the national productive model, redistributing wealth, and achieving a better life.
Detailing the organizational structure of the newly formed party, Tsipras highlighted its financial transparency. Under the central principle of receiving a little from many rather than a lot from few, he noted that the party's treasury income is displayed in public view.
Tsipras said ELAS chose a difficult path by working within society outside Parliament, explaining that the alignment will gain a parliamentary group only when the Greek electorate votes to send its representatives to the assembly. Telling party cadres that the main battle begins now, he stressed that genuine political change cannot occur without the alignment.
Global trends and domestic living costs
Turning to global affairs, Tsipras described the current international landscape in bleak terms, pointing to geopolitical instability, economic clouds, and the rise of the far right in Germany, France, Spain, and Brazil.
Regarding domestic matters, he spoke of convicted criminals in Greece and criticized media outlets for helping to rehabilitate their image.
Tsipras warned that the coming winter will be difficult for many and tragic for some, citing 2025 survey data indicating that 20 percent of households cannot heat their homes. He stated that Greek citizens face Swiss and French prices alongside Bulgarian wages.
Criticism of government economic response
Addressing high fuel and energy costs affecting sectors such as fishing, agriculture, and transport, Tsipras said the government gives the appearance of idling while remaining cowardly, fatalistic, and indecisive together as it waits for a miracle.
He labeled the Minister of Development as the minister of high prices and rejected official statements suggesting additional measures might be required if inflation persists, arguing that government inaction reflects political choices rather than simple incompetence.
Tsipras criticized what he called a festival of arrogance among ruling party figures, alleging that modern day Marie Antoinettes have gathered within New Democracy and targeting the group that has governed Greece for the past seven years.
Rejecting official definitions of stability, Tsipras argued that true stability does not mean salaries running out halfway through the month or an inability to heat homes and drive cars. He stated that for Mitsotakis, stability means high corporate profitability, whereas real stability requires political change.
Tsipras concluded by presenting party members with a stark choice, stating that either ELAS will succeed or the country will face another four years under what he called the most unfair and corrupt government, according to a report by state news agency ANA-MPA.
