In an attempt to unify Greece’s fractured leftist political parties, the so-called “Initiative of 58” begun by academics, intellectuals and others disenchanted with the political system, said they’ve branched into a political party called the Democratic Progressive Faction that will take part in the May European Parliament elections.
The group’s leaders, who couldn’t agree last year whether to be just a movement or a party, is a center-left bent and said it wants to unite with other left-leaning parties and political figures to present a singular moderate front.
Greece’s left now includes the PASOK Socialists who have abandoned party principles to join the coalition government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, the KKE Communists, the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) and other factions that are often at odds with each other.
With an announcement, the “58” argue that this political movement will act as a reference point for social democrat, democratic left, liberal centrist, green and progressive pro-Europe political forces, allowing them to exchange different opinions and work together towards their common goal to ameliorate Greece’s current situation.
PASOK has given general praise to the idea although it’s uncertain whether the new party will siphon off even more voters from the Socialists who are floundering at about 5 percent in the polls and without joining hands with their ideological rival New Democracy would be marginalized, irrelevant back-benchers in the Parliament with virtually no public profile.
PASOK officials said that its candidates would seek election in the May 22-25 polls under the party banner, abandoning is own as the Socialists are on the verge of extinction. A similar alliance is also planned for local government elections, also planned for May.
“We would like to see our cooperation extended to national elections … Our party salutes the decision to create a broader alliance,” Dimitris Karidis, a PASOK spokesman, told the AP.
PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos has come under fire from critics who said that he’s leading his party into oblivion with unconditional support for crushing austerity measures that have worsened a deep recession, now in its seventh year, and created recover unemployment and poverty.
The Democratic Progressive Faction said it aims for the unification and cooperation of all political forces that belong to Social Democracy although so far it has no recognition beyond its own base.
http://www.tovima.gr/en/article/?aid=556498
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