Greece General Discussion

[justfollowingtheelections]

(SYRIZA left KKE in the 90s to form a new party)

This is false.  It was actually KKE who left Synaspismos.  Basically what had happened was that KKE and EAR (a left-wing party that wanted nothing to do with the USSR) allied in 1989 forming Synaspismos, hoping they could win some seats from PASOK which was in bad shape due to a banking scandal.  Synaspismos was part of a grand coalition for a few months along with ND and PASOK, until the 1990 election when ND won an outright majority.  All KKE members who felt betrayed left Synaspismos.
SYRIZA didn't exist until the '00s when SYRIZA formed a coalition with smaller left-wing parties.

Anyway, regarding this election, I suspect ND and PASOK will get the 180 votes they need.  I doubt the independent MPs are willing to lose their nice, fat salaries.
If they somehow fail to elect a president, I predict a SYRIZA/Potami government.

[justfollowingtheelections]

It's rather interesting that DIMAR and ANEL are voting no because they will most likely not get reelected.  Maybe they're waiting for the last election to get more out of a deal either with ND-Pasok or Syriza.  DIMAR leader Kouvelis has already said that they might be reunited with Syriza soon and I suspect that he will be the next president

[justfollowingtheelections]

DIMAR merging with SYRIZA would not be surprising at all- they are splitters from not only SYRIZA but also from the same constituent party of SYRIZA that Tsipras himself was from. The leader of DIMAR spent a year as SYRIZA's Parliamentary spokesman, serving alongside Tsipras as the party's parliamentary leader. They go way back.

Actually the reason Kouvelis left SYRIZA to form DIMAR was because when Alekos Alavanos, the previous SYRIZA leader retired, Tsipras and Kouvelis were the two candidates that ran for the leadership position.  Tsipras was endorsed by Alavanos and had the support of the smaller radical left and green parties while Kouvelis had the support of the center left wing of SYRIZA.  Kouvelis and most of his supporters left the party soon after the election to form DIMAR and while they have been very critical of SYRIZA, after the May 2009 election when SYRIZA was asked by the President to try and form a government, Kouvelis was very supportive.  I think it would be good for Greece if the moderate and pragmatic DIMAR merged with SYRIZA, but I suspect that it might hurt their election prospects since the public seems to have a very bad opinion of DIMAR.  What's really funny is that Alavanos who was the main reason Tsipras became the SYRIZA leader has now left the party and founded Plan B a party that supports leaving the Eurozone (they had less than 1% in the EU elections IIRC).

By the way Bacon King, this is a pretty good website on greek political news:  http://en.protothema.gr/

[justfollowingtheelections]

Landslide Lyndon, I am curious, which party are you planning to vote for?
 

[justfollowingtheelections]

A conversation between Pablo Iglesias and Alexis Tsipras on twitter:

‏@Pablo_Iglesias_
2015 será el año del cambio en España y en Europa. Empezaremos en Grecia. Vamos Alexis!! Vamos @syriza_gr !!


‏@atsipras
@Pablo_Iglesias_  Vamos a ganar! We will win! Θα νικήσουμε! #syriza #Podemos #SiSePuede

Also:

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http://en.protothema.gr/on-the-3rd-of-january-mr-papandreous-party-formally-introduces-itself-to-the-greek-political-reality/