Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras announced his political comeback on Tuesday with the launch of a new "progressive and modern" party.
Speaking against the backdrop of the Acropolis in Athens, the left-wing populist unveiled a political platform named the Greek Left Alliance (ELAS), which he said aims to return to government under his leadership.
Tsipras's speech on Tuesday evening was broadcast live by numerous Greek media outlets.
A political comeback after defeat
After heavy election defeats for his left-wing SYRIZA party in 2019 and 2023, Tsipras had largely withdrawn from frontline politics.
In 2025, he also gave up his parliamentary seat. In book published following the move, he sought to close the chapter on the years of Greece's financial crisis, placing much of the blame for political mistakes on former ministers and close associates, while offering little criticism of his own decisions.
During his time in office from 2015-19, Greece at times came close to exiting the eurozone.
During his speech, Tsipras launched a sharp attack on the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which has been in power since 2019, accusing it of corruption, undermining the rule of law and deepening social inequality.
At the same time, he pledged to deliver social justice, strengthen democracy and restore national sovereignty if his new party returns to power.
A bid to reshape Greece's political left
With the launch of his new party, Tsipras is effectively opening a new battle for leadership of Greece's fragmented left-wing and centre-left political camp. SYRIZA has splintered into several small groups with little political influence.
Opinion polls, however, continue to show the conservatives, in power since 2019, as the dominant political force, leading by more than 15 percentage points.
Tsipras's new movement is expected to compete closely with the centre-left, social democratic PASOK party for second place.
Greece's next parliamentary elections must be held by early summer 2027 at the latest.
