Alexis Tsipras is intensifying his outreach to members of ELAS (Greek Left Alliance), as the party leader’s primary goal is to establish a strong organizational presence across Greece ahead of the upcoming elections.
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This afternoon, the former prime minister is set to meet with party members in Ilioupoli (Café Indigo — Vyronos 3, Ilioupoli) to call for organizational readiness and daily engagement with citizens. The ELAS leader is also expected to address current affairs, including the basketball refereeing scandal, the Bekiris case, and the rising cost of living.
Among other points, he is expected to highlight that “the government has become the ‘traffic warden’ of high prices — including in the energy sector — at a time when Brussels, major international energy organizations, and analysts are all warning of an exceptionally difficult winter that will strain household budgets and push citizens to their limits.”
“The energy crisis, with prices dangerously approaching the historic records seen during the 2022 crisis — when households and businesses faced enormous financial burdens — is now resurfacing. Four years later, with the cost of living having already eroded household purchasing power and threatening the viability of small and medium-sized businesses, the new wave of price hikes finds families with no protection mechanism whatsoever, as the government leads citizens into a dangerous survival balancing act with no safety net.”
He is further expected to note that “wholesale electricity prices more than doubled during October, setting the stage for new bill increases in November. From October 1st to October 27th, a staggering increase of 102.3% was recorded. Meanwhile, natural gas prices on the European market have surged to nearly €95/MWh, marking a 30% increase between October 1st and October 27th — a rise that takes on particular significance as it coincides with the start of the heating season.”
This push for organizational readiness comes as a direct response to critics who argue that Alexis Tsipras’ party still operates more like a political circle than a structured party. Over recent weeks, there has been notable activity on this front, with party Secretary Miltos Hatzigianakis criss-crossing Greece to mobilize registered ELAS members.
At the same time, efforts to broaden the party’s appeal are ongoing, with daily outreach to independent political figures and individuals from other parts of the political spectrum. A key goal for the ELAS leadership is to present, in the second round of candidate announcements expected in early next year, a roster of prominent figures with significant public track records who will make a strong impression on voters.
Meanwhile, yesterday the leader of the Greek Left Alliance met with delivery workers at a café in Zografou. The workers shared with Tsipras the daily challenges they face, describing the key issues arising from their working relationships with both restaurants and online delivery platforms, as well as broader concerns affecting the delivery sector.
Tsipras stated that ELAS supports collective bargaining agreements in the delivery industry, while stressing the need to put an end to work intensification practices. The former prime minister was accompanied by the party’s labor policy spokesperson, Dionysis Temboneras.
In the meantime, Alexandros Meikopoulos and Giorgos Psychogios are expected to vacate their parliamentary seats on November 23rd or 24th, while Andreas Panagiotopoulou is also expected to join ELAS before the end of November.
