Left-wing opposition SYRIZA’s parliamentary group will not attend a reception on Friday at the Presidential Mansion marking the anniversary of the Restoration of Democracy in Greece, the party’s recently elected leader Rena Dourou has said.
The anniversary commemorates the restoration of democracy following Greece’s seven-year military dictatorship from 1967 to 1974.
In a letter to President Konstantinos Tasoulas, the SYRIZA leader said the event falls short of its purpose of genuinely reflecting on democracy, institutions, and collective historical memory, as it includes participants who are junta nostalgics, far-right representatives, and revisionists of the country’s modern history.
“Their presence, which has been increasing in recent years at the event, does nothing to honor Democracy. On the contrary, it insults the memory of the victims of the dictatorship, those who were tortured, and the real resistance fighters who were imprisoned and exiled. It insults the democratic struggles of our people,” Dourou’s letter said.
Dourou was elected leader of SYRIZA on Saturday following a vote where she was the only candidate. The party has been devastated by a wave of defections, leaving it with just ten of 47 seats it won in the June 2023 general election.
