The victory of the right in Greece’s Sunday general elections sparked intense debate across the country. The results exposed a demand for renewal within the left and highlighted a clear shift as Syriza, the main opposition party, faced a marked decline. These developments underscored ongoing political churn in Greek politics.
The participation rate reached a historic low since the restoration of democracy in 1974, with only 52.83 percent of eligible voters casting ballots, roughly five out of ten eligible voters. The fragmentation of the progressive vote was evident as Syriza continued to lose cohesion and appeal among voters, signaling a shift in the political landscape and a changing base of support.
Numerous parties capitalized on discontent with the left, including Plefsi Eleftherias, or Liberty Course, which won 3.17 percent of the vote and gained eight seats, entering Parliament for the first time. Founded in 2016 by Zoe Konstantopoulou, the party has been associated with former Syriza leadership and with the period when Konstantopoulou and Tsipras entertained austerity measures demanded by the European Union. The electoral path for this new entrant reflects broader concerns about the left’s strategy and its ability to present a viable alternative to the governing right.
Separation
The political map became even more telling. The PASOK socialists re-emerged after a modest showing in the 2015 election and a renewed presence in the last two rounds, capturing roughly 12 percent of the vote. The MeRA25 list, led by Yanis Varoufakis, the former economy minister, secured 2.49 percent of the vote, amounting to 129,859 ballots, and did not win seats in Parliament. The far left, traditionally represented within the PPE framework, had not shown major fluctuations, yet its share remained around three points higher than in the July 2019 election, underscoring factional shifts on the left and the ease with which new alignments can form during times of economic pressure and social strain.
The electoral outcome painted a predominantly blue landscape across the country, the color associated with New Democracy, save for a small red region in Rhodope. Seven additional regional units leaned toward the right compared with the 2019 results, including Crete which, when all parties are considered, still sees the left gaining more votes than the right. New Democracy also carried Evros, a region frequently cited in reports about immigrant-related tensions, signaling security and immigration issues as key campaign topics for voters in border areas.
difficult renewal
In the wake of the vote, Tsipras acknowledged Syriza’s defeat and called for a renewal project that would bring in fresh leadership. He signaled openness to internal reflection and a potential restructuring of the party. However, there was no clear successor identified to chart a long transition or trigger a transformation that would alter the party’s trajectory without undermining its broader identity. This ambiguity mirrors the challenges Syriza has faced in redefining its appeal after its initial rise as a coalition built on the idea of radical change.
The party’s origins trace back to the Coalition of the Radical Left, formed in 2004 by a diverse mix of socialists, Trotskyists, Maoists, and ecologists who diverged from the KKE and its alignment with Moscow after the dissolution of the USSR. In the ensuing years, Syriza faced internal questions about its governance and strategy, including the crucial issue of whether to pursue a broad, reformist agenda or to maintain a more radical posture during periods of economic difficulty. Analysts note that the party needed a more programmatic approach to regain voter confidence as people prioritized stability and concrete solutions over experimental ideas.
Observers highlight that Tsipras may confront questions about his leadership, given the absence of a clearly identified potential successor. The political scientist Yorgos Patsambekis suggested that the former leader might face renewed scrutiny as he navigates the party’s future direction. Another expert, Antonis Karampatzos, noted that Syriza’s decline was tied to a perceived lack of a serious, programmatic discourse and to a public that often values safety and reliable governance over new strategies in times of persistent crisis, a sentiment that influenced electoral behavior and party evaluation.