In a packed convention hall in Thessaloniki, amid a charged and energetic political atmosphere, former PM Alexis Tsipras, leader of the newly established Hellenic Left Coalition (ELAS), presented his party’s comprehensive economic and governance platform on Wednesday evening.
The event drew significant attention, with a large turnout filling the aisles and event spaces well ahead of time. The timing lent considerable weight to the gathering, marking the official kickoff of the political season and public debate ahead of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF).
The audience comprised a diverse cross-section of local government figures, business leaders, chamber of commerce and trade association executives, representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises, and numerous parliamentarians and political figures from the broader progressive bloc. The former prime minister took the podium to outline the “National Reconstruction Plan for the Next Decade,” centering his vision on a structural overhaul of Greece’s production model.
Political Clashes and the “Securonomics” Doctrine
Opening his address, Tsipras directly pushed back against government criticism regarding the timing of his speech ahead of the prime minister’s scheduled TIF appearance. “Do I need the prime minister’s permission to speak?” he asked pointedly. He reminded attendees that during his tenure, the country exited the bailout memorandums, restructured its debt, and left a 37-billion-euro cash buffer in the state treasury, adding: “The evaluators will eventually be evaluated themselves”.
Delivering a sharp critique of New Democracy’s seven years in power, Tsipras argued that despite a parliamentary majority and unprecedented European funding, the vast majority of citizens feel worse off financially than in 2019. He framed his platform around a modern economic model grounded in economic security (securonomics) and a “new patriotism” encapsulated in three core principles: “Produce more. Share more equitably. Live better.”
Wages, Tax Relief, and the Social Safety Net
The ELAS platform lays out immediate policy measures aimed at boosting disposable income and rebuilding core public services:
• Wages and the Cost of Living: A phased increase in the minimum wage to 1,000 euros during 2027 and a targeted average full-time wage of 1,800 euros by the end of a four-year term. The plan also includes slashing VAT to 6% on essential food items and personal hygiene products, alongside free public transit.
• Tax Reform: A 1% “Patriotic Contribution” levied on the wealthiest 1% of citizens, doubling the child tax credit for families, full repeal of the business trade duty (telos epitidevmatos), elimination of advance tax payments for sole proprietorships, and reductions for corporations. The platform additionally introduces a progressive tax scale on dividends and reinstates a 120-installment payment plan for back taxes with surcharge relief.
• Healthcare, Education, and Seniors: An average monthly pay increase of 500 euros for National Health System (NHS) medical personnel and 300 euros for educators, accompanied by 30,000 permanent teacher hires. In education, the plan guarantees free school meals in elementary schools, abolishes national university entrance exams (Panelladikes), and provides a 500-euro monthly stipend (for 10 months a year) to students attending regional universities away from home. For pensioners, prescription copays would be fully eliminated.
• Housing: The creation of an Affordable Social Housing Agency tasked with delivering 50,000 accessible housing units over four years.
National Convergence Fund and Decentralization
The primary financial engine of the blueprint is the National Convergence Fund, seeded with 12 billion euros over four years through public investment funds, Golden Visa revenue reallocation, and domestic corporate partnerships. By leveraging private capital, the fund aims to mobilize more than 50 billion euros over a ten-year horizon.
On regional decentralization, ELAS proposes gradually relocating five ministries outside Attica (Industry to Thessaloniki, Agricultural Development to Larissa, Tourism to Heraklion, Island Policy to Lesbos, and Digital Policy to Kozani), creating a Special Defense Industry Zone in Thrace, and executing strategic infrastructure projects in Thessaloniki, including the westward expansion of the Metro and a unified waterfront redevelopment.
According to the party’s economic team, the four-year program carries a gross cost of 7.39 billion euros with a net expenditure of 5.47 billion euros, an amount they assert falls well within projected fiscal space.
Reactions from the Government and PASOK
The announcements triggered immediate pushback across the political spectrum. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis remarked that Alexis Tsipras “remains completely unchanged,” accusing him of reviving unfunded promises and reckless handouts that threaten fiscal stability. Government sources disputed ELAS’s cost estimates, contending that the true expense of the measures would derail the nation’s budgetary balance.
Representatives from PASOK asserted that the former prime minister “returned with fresh illusions,” arguing that the country needs credible, realistic structural reforms rather than recycled pledges lacking genuine fiscal backing.
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