The first major gathering of Hellenic Left Alliance (ELAS), led by Alexis Tsipras, will take the form of an informal congress this Saturday at a hotel in central Athens. Tsipras is expected to use his keynote address to outline his political vision and detail the steps his party will take in the coming period to firmly establish itself within Greek society.
Read also: Real Polls survey: New Democracy at 28.3%, Tsipras’ ELAS at 21.4%, Karystianou at 11.9%, PASOK at 9.9%
More than 400 party members and officials are expected to attend the event. Among them will be the first 300 signatories of ELAS’s founding declaration, the party’s policy coordinators, as well as members who have recently joined the movement.
The day before the congress, the former prime minister will hold his first meeting with the party’s policy coordinators to provide them with initial strategic direction. In the near future, the party’s Central Committee — set to comprise 60 members — is also expected to be announced. A Coordinating Center, a smaller and more agile governing body, will additionally be established, with anticipated members including Miltos Hatzigianakis, Michalis Kalogirou, Giorgos Vasileiadis, Kostas Toumpouras, Evgenia Fotoniata, Gianna Peppe, Nikos Marantzidis, Theoni Koufonikola kou, Anna Papadopoulou, Kostas Gavroglou, Dionysis Temboneras, and others.
Meanwhile, the latest nationwide RealPolls/Protagon survey brought smiles to ELAS headquarters on Amalias Avenue, as it marks the first time the party’s polling figure has crossed the 20% threshold. In the projected vote share, New Democracy leads at 28.3%, while ELAS follows in second place at 21.4%, appearing to absorb a significant portion of the anti-establishment vote across the ideological spectrum. At the same time, the Karystianou party appears to be retreating to 11.9%, while PASOK-KINAL is approaching double digits at 9.9%. Further down the rankings, the Communist Party (KKE) stands at 6.4%, followed by Greek Solution, which is slipping to 5.1%, Voice of Reason at 3.6%, and Course of Freedom hovering at the parliamentary threshold with 3.1%. Both MeRA25 at 2.5% and, notably, SYRIZA at just 1.2% appear set to fall below the threshold needed for parliamentary representation.
