The political landscape as we have known it for the past few years is in for a major shakeup with the upcoming launch of two new political parties – one led by former leftist prime minister Alexis Tsipras and the other by Maria Karystianou, the mother of one of the victims of the 2023 Tempe railway disaster, and the former head of the activist association representing survivors and the victims’ families.
The idea floated within government circles for snap elections before these two parties were formally announced never came to fruition, depriving the incumbent New Democracy of the element of surprise. Now, both new parties will have the time they need to organize themselves and reach out to specific voter pools.
The two parties will not poll in the single digits. They will have a significant impact on the political landscape, though the extent and direction of this impact remains to be seen, as does their ability to build up enough momentum to overturn the current balance of power. Despite these questions, no one has the luxury to ignore them when they make their formal appearance.
Tsipras, for his part, will shake up the center-left by seeking to displace PASOK as the country’s second-biggest party and the main opposition. If it proves impossible to form a government after the elections – which, according to the prime minister’s assurances, will be held in early 2027 – the outcome of this tug-of-war within the broader center-left will set developments in motion ahead of a possible runoff.
