Alex Tsipras launches ELAS, vows to govern and ends “closed” SYRIZA cycle

Former prime minister Alex Tsipras announced the creation of the Greek Elefteri Aristeri Synaparaxi (ELAS) in a televised Alpha interview and at the party’s first National Council. He said the new movement is meant to fill a “large gap” in the progressive space and is not a vehicle for personal ambition. Tsipras rejected any pre‑election coalition with SYRIZA, PASOK or other “closed” forces, stating that “there are no reserved seats” and that former SYRIZA MPs may join only after resigning their parliamentary mandates.

His program emphasizes an “ethical revolution”: combat corruption, introduce a progressive tax system, abolish “tax exemptions of greed”, and fund five immediate citizen‑relief measures – free public transport, 30 % cheaper electricity, a right to housing, reforms of university entrance exams and decent wages for teachers and health workers. He presented ELAS as a “governing left”, not a “left of protest”, and argued that Greece is moving from a single‑party monopoly to a two‑pole system in which ELAS could become the leading opposition and, if it wins the next election, form a government. If a governing coalition cannot be built, he warned that ELAS will push for a second election to obtain a clear mandate.

At the inaugural meeting of ELAS sector leaders in Athens, Tsipras urged them to offer concrete, evidence‑based proposals, to avoid “shadow” politics, and to stay connected with citizens’ daily problems. He highlighted the need for a new political ethic, transparency, and an overhaul of the social contract, positioning ELAS as a hybrid, digitally‑enabled party that will run without state subsidies.