Who are they? Initially an alliance representing the labour, environmental and feminist movements, the Coalition of the Radical Left in Greece are emblematic of grassroots political success. Syriza’s historic election win in January 2015 is a classic example of turning crisis into opportunity.What do they want? To force an end to the modern Greek tragedy of austerity, poverty, unemployment, debt and economic recession via political and economic restructuring.
Who/what are they fighting? Predatory lending and austerity measures imposed by the ‘Troika’ – the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
How do they organise? Syriza is a coalition of political groups and independent politicians. Its role as the new national government gives it an official mandate to roll out policies, enabling more rapid change than could be achieved by grassroots organizing alone.
Success stories: On 26th January 2015 Syriza formed government in Greece. But the road ahead for the radical party will not be smooth, with plans for political and economic restructuring being met with hostility by the EU in spite of their popularity among Greek citizens.