On the night of 26 May 2026, with the Acropolis floodlit behind him, Mr. Alexis Tsipras, the former Greek Prime Minister, stood in Thiseio Square and announced his return. Seven years after he left office, he unveiled a new party whose acronym, ELAS, carries three echoes at once: the word for Greece, the wartime resistance army, and (to his critics' amusement) the national police. What follows is a translation of the founding declaration he held up that evening.
[Selected translated excerpts]
Today, we don't just live in tumultuous times; we find ourselves in the midst of a profound historical transformation. The constant widening of inequalities, the intensity of the climate crisis, and the concentration of technological power in the hands of the few have created a new threatening environment.
The unchecked dominance of the capitalist markets, across the planet, continually sharpens the contrast between the incredible opportunities that are being created by scientific and technological advancements and their utilization by a fringe minority of vast economic and political power.
In a world without rules, the notions of Peace, International Law, and Human Rights are increasingly disregarded in favor of wars, resulting to a new reality of human tragedies and famine. Insecurity and fear become the dominant emotions besieging the lives of billions of people.
This is *not* the result of natural developments. It's the consequence of a system that concentrates an unthinkable amount of economic and political power in the hands of the few, while billions live with the uncertainty of tomorrow.
We cannot, and do not want a world plunged in conflict. We cannot accept the hundreds of thousands of dead from the wars in Europe and the Middle East. We cannot stay quiet in the face of injustice, and we certainly do not accept the justice of the few (and the strong); we seek for an international justice. To be quiet in the face of brutality is not neutrality--it's complicity.
The same thing happens every time when the profits of the few are placed above the concerns and lives of the many. Every time economic power operates without restraint, it shows indifference to the future of the planet itself.
This is exactly what the climate crisis demonstrates--a crisis that doesn't belong to the future anymore. It's already here. We feel it in the prolonged heat-waves, during the catastrophic floods, the wildfires that obliterate entire regions off the map. We live it in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the environment which becomes increasingly hostile.
Its consequences are not just environmental. They threaten our food supply, our physical security, our infrastructure, our economy--our civilization itself. Millions are fleeing, and the weak are the ones facing the devastating consequences.
Our planet doesn't need us--we need it.
And, rather than tapping into our spectacular advancements in technology and artificial intelligence to bring about social justice, environmental solutions, and sustainable progress, these technologies are used in ways that threaten people's livelihoods, our shared resources and our human rights.
The rights won through decades of struggle are being dismantled in the name of a so-called free market economy. A market without rules or meaningful protections for workers--with grueling hours and inadequate safety regulations.
Instead of guaranteeing dignity and security, work is increasingly becoming a realm of insecurity and fear. A place where workers lose their lives while trying to earn a living.
And while, once, in the Western world at least, hard work meant a more dignified life, a certain degree of security and protection, and a few well-earned weeks of vacation, today even these achievements are being curtailed and called into question.
The social discontent generated by this course of action is exploited by the oligarchies of the world by pitting workers against one another. They foster racism and nationalism. They rationalize war as a necessary evil—even as a good. Neoliberalism embraces Neofascism, often openly. Authoritarian governments and totalitarian regimes are emerging in the East and West. And they undermine not only democratic rights and achievements but even reason, science, and the need for collective action to protect the planet from the climate crisis. If we continue like this, our children will be fighting for bread, and our grandchildren for water—and their very lives.
Human nature predestines us to grow and find happiness through solidarity, companionship, and community. The very idea of democracy is based on the assumption that the many think more justly and more correctly than any individual acting alone. To achieve human development, we need collectivity, empathy, and deliberation. Otherwise, work alienates us, the economy is unjust, institutions decline, and we sink into misery.
In a world where people are becoming increasingly lonely, weak, and insecure, it is worth remembering the timely words of Makrygiannis: let us return to “us.” Both in decision-making and in the distribution of wealth and political power for the benefit of the people.
In this perilous global environment, half a century after the restoration of democracy, Greece is falling behind. Sixteen years after our default, we are once again ruled by those who brought us to ruin. The worst part? They show no remorse. They have the same mindset and are applying the same formulas that led us to disaster.
The collective achievements of the post-dictatorship era are being overturned, deliberately abandoned, and slowly fading away. Fundamental rights are being challenged. We are heading toward dead ends, while the vital forces of labor, education, and culture are being methodically pushed to the margins.
Our economy, trapped in an outdated production model, is generating ever-greater inequalities. Employees, self-employed professionals, and small and medium-sized business owners struggle every day just to stay afloat. Work has become a one-way street leading to exhaustion and insecurity.
Our country ranks among the lowest in the EU in terms of minimum and average wages, social protection, purchasing power, security, and the risk of poverty. And among the highest in the EU for the cost of electricity, fuel, and groceries. Cartels in nearly every sector of the economy are profiting unchecked, at the expense of millions of households.
A house, the last refuge of every family, has become a distant and unattainable dream. A frenzy of speculation in property prices and rents prevents young couples from buying their own home, starting a family, and raising children, and to live with a basic sense of security. And all this at a time when the demographic crisis poses an immediate and existential threat to our country. Meanwhile, those who purchased them with bank loans during the crisis are now being asked to repay them at a multiple of the original amount for the benefit of foreign funds, which are plundering the Greek economy.
Today, the major social issue is not only economic growth, but also the ability of people to live with dignity without the constant pressure of survival. Housing, energy, food, health, and transportation cannot be turned into a privilege for the few. Politics must ensure that life is once again sustainable and affordable for everyone.
The state has fallen into the hands of a caste that treats it as spoils. Institutions are discredited, as is the political system. The vast majority does not trust political parties, the functioning of institutions, or justice. Corruption is eroding all spheres of power. Democracy itself is being undermined, and the rule of law is being abused.
Extrajudicial centers of interests influence and control political parties and governments. The two old parties of the post-dictatorship era, New Democracy and PASOK, which often feature the same familiar faces in ministerial positions, no longer offer anything new. They have become the system within the system. Their debts collectively exceed one billion euros. They do not simply owe money to the banks. They are dependent on them
The country’s international standing, weakened by corruption and a lack of credibility, is becoming increasingly precarious. Greece is sliding into dangerous military conflicts that serve interests foreign to our national interests. Our distancing from the firm and consistent defense of international law in every international conflict, and particularly in those concerning our neighborhood, weakens our country in the face of Turkey’s illegal claims.
At a time of intense geopolitical upheaval, the country urgently needs a New National Compass and a proactive and multifaceted foreign policy that will consolidate its role as a pillar of peace and stability in the face the logic of the so-called ally that puts the country at risk.
A strategic approach that builds alliances on terms of mutual benefit rather than seeking guardians by violating its own principles. One that resolves disputes with its neighbors while defending national interests. One that safeguards our sovereign rights and aims for a fair and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue. And one that supports a social Europe, with a strong international role in favor of peace and sustainable development.
Greece today needs a Moral Revolution. A new vision. A democratic blueprint for the 21st century. A new Patriotism, which, in today’s globalized environment, responds to the modern needs for a sovereign, democratic, strong, and secure Greece. It is founded on everyone’s unwavering devotion to the homeland, but also on the homeland’s support for everyone without any discrimination. Its measure is not nationalistic grandstanding, but contribution to the homeland, by each person according to their abilities. And the homeland’s contribution to each person according to their needs. A patriotism, in a word, that is inextricably linked to social justice.
This patriotism defends democracy and its deepening across all spheres of power and society. It puts a stop to the oligarchy’s unchecked power and the state’s subservience to it. It centers on citizen security, citizens’ rights, equal opportunities for all, collectivity, and solidarity. It translates Greece’s history, its culture, and its contribution to the great cause of democracy and freedom into a source of strength for the country. And it places society above market profits and people above numbers.
With these values, we appeal today to all Greek women and men. With democracy and justice as our banner. Because democracy degenerates without justice. And justice is realized only through democracy.
We aspire to be the answer to the despair, the decay, the national and social dead ends, the blatant injustice, and the crisis of our institutions and democracy. To take the country’s fate into our own hands. To take our lives into our own hands. Because our homeland needs a shock of integrity and democracy. Our political system needs a New Post-Transition. Our economy needs a National Recovery Plan aimed at Fair and Sustainable Development. And our production model needs a radical reorientation. We are committed to making this a reality.
We are committed to:
1. A life of dignity,
2. A strong democracy without political immunity,
3. A strong economy based on fair growth and dignity,
4. A social welfare state in the face of profiteering,
5. A resilient Greece in a world of constant crises,
6. A digital, autonomous democracy, and
7. A strong Greece that defends its rights and builds bridges of peace.
The time has come. Our Declaration today marks the beginning of a new collective effort to create a broad Progressive Alliance. This is the necessary convergence of the three historical currents of the progressive spectrum that constitute the expression of the contemporary Left: Social Democracy, the Radical Left, and Political Ecology. And we aspire for their coalition to become the Ruling Left of the New Era.
Our vision and plan is a major democratic and social renewal of the country, driven by the broad social majority. The source of our values is the “We” of the new era: a society that does not compromise with inequalities, and does not leave people’s lives in the hands of the market and the powerful. Our foundation is the Democracy of everyday life, with a voice for the people and dignity in action.
We come from a long history of great struggles and collective experiences, and we move forward with our eyes fixed on the future. We are proud to build upon the great progressive political and national traditions of this land, upon the national and social struggles that shaped modern Greece.
We carry on the legacy of the great currents of the progressive movement: the EAM of the National Resistance, the EDA of the struggles for Democracy and Peace, the PASOK of the early years of Change, and SYRIZA of the First Time Left.
We call on every citizen living in Greece, every man and woman in the diaspora, to join the Coalition and embrace our vision, our values, and our struggles. To become part of this effort. Because nothing changes without our participation. Because we don’t just need political change, but a change in policy.
And this change will not come from above.
It will come from society.
From the people who work, create, struggle, and refuse to give up hope.
From all of us.
From the vast social majority.
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