Coalition of the Left, of Movements and Ecology

The Coalition of the Left, of Social Movements and Ecology (Shorter: Coalition or SYN from the Greek: Synaspismos, Συνασπισμός), initially, until 2004, called Coalition of Left and Progress, is a Greek political party of the radical - democratic left. Its chairman is the Marxist economist Alekos Alavanos. He succeeded in 2004 the social rights lawyer Nikos Konstantopoulos, who resigned after one decade in chairmanship.

History

Synaspismos emerged initially as an electoral coalition at the late 80's, with the two Greek CP's (philosoviet KKE-Communist Party of Greece and the eurocommunist KKE interior) as its largest constituents. After the disintegration of USSR, which brought the Left into disunion, the pro-soviet majority of KKE (called by the press as conservatives) proceeded to the ejection of the non-stalinists - almost 45% of the Central Committee members, including ex-general secretary Grigoris Farakos, and majority in many Local Committees (named by the KKE majority as revisionists and by the press as renewing part), and also split from the coalition. After that, the other parties of the coalition and the renewing part of KKE decided to convert the alliance into a political party (1991).

In 1994, Synaspismos got its highest national 'score' ever (6,26%) in the elections for the European Parliament. Two years later, with 4,43%, got its highest score in elections for the Greek Parliament.

In the legislative elections of 2000, SYN was supported by the small party AKOA. After the elections a few members of the National Committee, who were asking for approximation with the socialdemocrats, left the party accusing the majority of neo-communist turn and created the short-lived party AEKA. AEKA was first split and little later disbanded in some months, when the head of the party became vice-minister in the government of Kostas Simitis (PASOK).

In the legislative elections of 2004 Synaspismos formed with smaller parties ( AKOA, KEDA, DEA, Active Citizens) an alliance called Coalition of the Radical Left, but in the Euro-elections of the same year participated alone, because of orientation disagreements inside the party. The alliance with the smaller parties was formed again at the end of 2005, when chairman Alavanos proposed the 30-years-old Alexis Tsipras as candidate mayor in Athens for the Municipality Election of 2006, declaring the party's 'opening to the new generation'.

Ideological identity

SYN describes itself as "a radical left party, inspired by the ideas of the renewal of the communist and broader left movement in Greece and in Europe. It also fights for the merging of the ecological movement along with the left, to form a strategic alliance. The party's culture has been enriched by its active participation in the movement against the Neoliberal Capitalist Globalization".

The ideology of SYN is influenced by Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Nicos Poulantzas, Eric Hobsbawm, Noam Chomsky, and the philosophers of the Frankfurt School.

Synaspismos looks like an 'umbrella party'; under the party flag one can see people of different ideological and theoretical origins. Therefore, the members of SYN are allowed to participate in inner-party platforms formed on the basis of propinquity of ideas, having the right to mount open discussions and publish magazines, but not allowed to work against party decisions. The strongest ones, in terms of power, are the Left Stream (neo-marxists, party left), the Volute (radical social-democrats, party right), the Intervention (party center) and the Redgreens (eco-marxists, party extreme left). Their role is very strong especially in the national congresses, because each platform has its own ballot of candidates for the National Committee (central administration). Notice: the exact word is τασεις (tendencies) but the term platform is accurate in english language.

Representation & international alliances

The party has members in the National and European Parliament. After having survived a crisis of not achieving entry in 1993, Synaspismos is constantly since 1996 the fourth party in the Greek Parliament, and the third party (in terms of representation) in local governments. In the European Parliament is a member of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left group. It is also a member of the European Social Forum. Moreover, Synaspismos was the host party for the first Congress of European Left (29-30 October 2005), which concluded to the Athens Declaration of the European Left as the manifesto of the European Left party.

Well known executive members of Synaspismos are: , Institute Nikos Poulantzas

[5], ASKI archives, currently only in Greek

Greek election results, via the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs