The Nea Aristera party finds itself on a razor’s edge following the Central Committee session, which confirmed the existing rift between two factions: those who support a strategic alliance with SYRIZA and PASOK, and those who see Yanis Varoufakis as a potential ally.
Nea Aristera: disagreements over alliances, Haritsis proposal and Sakellaridis position
On Wednesday, Nea Aristera’s leader Alexis Haritsis addressed internal party processes through a post, giving a dramatic tone to his observations and insisting on conducting a grassroots referendum. “In the Left, historically, there are two divergent approaches regarding what its stance should be in times of crisis,” wrote Alexis Haritsis, adding: “The first insists on the logic of an autonomous path and a hard core of ideological and political references. Typically, this is a stance of entrenchment and withdrawal in the name of adverse conditions. The second seeks a way out through fronts with ideologically neighboring social and political forces. Typically, this is a stance arising from urgent logic. What unites us is more than what divides us. These two lines are in dialogue, clash, and synthesize. But at each turn, one sets the tone. It is known that within the New Left there are different views on how we should move forward. And this is completely logical and legitimate. I have stated my position explicitly and openly. It is not just a personal position. It is the position of the founding congress of the New Left: Popular Front with a common program against the Mitsotakis regime and the rise of the far-right. I firmly believe this position communicates with the basic demand of left-wing and progressive citizens in Greece in 2025. And I also believe it expresses the majority of organized New Left members. Perhaps I am wrong. However, this is something we must determine: what do the people fighting for the New Left believe. I consider it a matter of political honesty and party democracy“.
The New Left President insists on the referendum, believing that at this particular moment, party voters should determine the solution for the party’s direction. Sources close to him argue that the referendum will show that the New Left base wants cooperation with other progressive forces. “And that’s why those who oppose it don’t want the internal party conference to take place“ they characteristically say.
