EUROZONE-GREECE/TSIPRAS-NEW PARTY Greece's Syriza party splits, rebels form anti-bailout front

Record ID: 143135

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/TSIPRAS-NEW PARTY Greece's Syriza party splits, rebels form anti-bailout front
  • Date: 21st August 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 21, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SYRIZA PARTY LEADER ALEXIS TSIPRAS ARRIVES AT SYRIZA PARTY HEADQUARTERS, GETS OUT OF CAR AND WALKS INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES OF LEADER OF NEW 'POPULAR UNITY' PARTY, PANAGIOTIS LAFAZANIS, DURING NEWS CONFERENCE LAFAZANIS SITTING BETWEEN TWO FORMER SYRIZA MINISTERS, DIMITRIS STRATO
  • Embargoed: 5th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAD9HQDJJ83X8IZ78CNAX23EANG
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greece's new Popular Unity party of far-left lawmakers from the leftist Syriza party will seek a mandate to form a government as the third-biggest group in parliament, after 25 anti-bailout rebels from Syriza broke away to form the party on Friday (August 21).
    Under Greece's constitution, the three biggest parties in parliament are given a three-day mandate to form a government following the resignation of Alexis Tsipras as prime minister.
    The conservative New Democracy party currently has the mandate, which would pass to the next group if it was unsuccessful in its effort.
    Popular Unity party leader Panagiotis Lafazanis, former energy minister and chief of Syriza's Left Platform faction, outlined the party's goals in an inaugural news conference on Friday.
    Lafazanis was flanked by Dimitris Stratoulis and Kostas Isychos, both former ministers in the Tsipras administration who had been removed from their posts after voting against the government over a bailout loan that Tsipras had fought Greece's creditors over but later caved in.
    "Twenty-five lawmakers that have stayed true to their campaign promises decided to take the initiative and form an independent parliamentary group called Popular Unity," said Lafazanis.
    Lafazanis said the prospect of early elections does not faze his party and he would seek alternatives to bailout loans.
    "The government thinks that by springing early elections upon us, it will take the Left Platform by surprise, that it would be unprepared and thus it will be able to muzzle the last consistent anti-bailout voice, which has alternatives to propose against the bailouts that are realistic and practical," said Lafazanis.
    Lafazanis said Syriza's pre-election campaign promises to cancel the bailout and cut Greece's debt remained at the forefront of the new party's goals, and insisted that they were achievable.
    "Our first goal is to cancel the bailout, which is the only way our country can exit the crisis. We also must cancel the majority of our debt, something that is doable, very doable, as long as we fight for it and believe in it," said Lafazanis.
    The split with the far left may allow Tsipras to move Syriza a little closer to the political centre and broaden his appeal among voters, which remains strong despite Greece's near-brush with financial collapse under his premiership.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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