2008 SYN leadership election

The 2008 Leadership election of Synaspismos took place on 10 February 2008, during its 5th Congress. The two candidates were: Alexis Tsipras and Fotis Kouvelis.[1] Tsipras won with 840 votes, while Kouvelis earned 342 votes, while 14 members voted blank or invalid.[2]

2008 SYN leadership election

← 2004 10 February 2008
 
Candidate A. Tsipras F. Kouvelis
Delegate count 840 342
Percentage 70.41% 28.67%

Previous President of SYN

Alekos Alavanos

President of SYN

Alexis Tsipras

Background

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In October 2005, SYN President, Alekos Alavanos, endorsed Alexis Tsipras, known for taking part on the 1990–1991 student protests in Greece, in which he was part of the student group that held talks with the Mitsotakis government,[3] to the party as a candidate for the Athens mayorship.[4]

SYN members who backed Mihalis Papagiannakis for the mayor race protested against Alavanos' endorsement, who had previously supported Papagiannakis.[5] A majority of the Political Secretariat decided to support Tsipras' candidacy, while the prefectural committee of Athens A' backed Papagiannakis on a knife-edge vote.[6] On Alavanos' advice, the Central Committee rejected the prefectural Committee's decision with a two-thirds majority[7] and Tsipras ended up as the Candidate for the Athens mayorship for SYN on the 2006 Greek local elections. He reached the 3rd place with a percentage of 10,51%, getting 4 seats on the city council.[8]

Candidates

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Candidate Position Announcement
Fotis Kouvelis
(59 years old)
  Minister of Shipping and Island Policy
(2018-2019)

Other Positions:

16 December 2007
Alexis Tsipras
(33 years old)
  Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Piraeus A
(2023-)

Other Positions:

18 December 2007

Fotis Kouvelis' candidancy was backed by members of the "Renewal Wing", Thanasis Leventis, Mihalis Papagiannakis, Nikos Tsoukalis και Anna Filini, SYN MEP, Dimitris Papadimoulis and the historical figure of the party, Leonidas Kyrkos

On the other camp, Alexis Tsipras' candidancy was backed by members of the "Left Shift", Nikos Voutsis, Giannis Dragasakis, Panagiotis Lafazanis, Dimitris Stratoulis and Nikos Hountis, and members of the "Red-Green Network" Christoforos Papadopoulos and Euclid Tsakalotos.[9]

Results

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Summary of 10 February 2008 Synaspismos leadership election results
Candidate Votes %
Alexis Tsipras 840 70.41
Fotis Kouvelis 342 28.67
Valid votes 1182
Invalid votes 3
Blank votes 11
Total votes 1196 100
 
Tsipras at a demonstration for the pension system (2007).

Subsequent events

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Alexis Tsipras speaking at the 5th Congress of SYN.

After the Congress, since Tsipras was not a MP, Alekos Alavanos remained as the President of the Parliamentary group of Syriza.[10]

In the 2009 European Parliament election in Greece, Synaspismos, being part of Syriza, succeeded in electing Nikolaos Chountis to the European Parliament. The result was considered a failure, due to the stagnation of the percentage, and was criticized by the "Renewal Wing" of Synaspismos,[11] with Leonidas Kyrkos calling for the dissolution of Syriza[12] An internal party crisis followed, in which Alavanos announced his intention to resign as president of the parliamentary group of syriza and as an MP,[13][14] which was not accepted[15] and he recalled, a few days later.[16]

In the coming months, and with the coming legislative elections of the same year, Alavanos decided to not take part in them.[17][18] Syriza, led by Alexis Tsipras, received 4,60% of the vote and elected 13 MPs.

In June 2010, the 6th Congress of Synaspismos took place.[19] The "Renewal Wing", led by Fotis Kouvelis, disagreeing with Synaspismos taking part in Syriza, left the party, founding the Democratic Left.[20][21] Kouvelis was followed by 3 more MPs, that left the parliamentary group of SYN.[22]

In the May 2012 Greek legislative elections and in the June 2012 Greek legislative elections, Syriza reached the second spot, and elected 52 και 71 MPs according.

In July 2013, with Syriza's first congress in sight, an emergency Synaspismos congress took place, in which a large majority decided to abolish and combine itself within Syriza[23][24][25]

References

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  1. ^ "Ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας στο τιμόνι του Συνασπισμού" (in Greek). Σαν Σήμερα. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Σαν σήμερα: Ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας εκλέγεται πρόεδρος του Συνασπισμού" (in Greek). Documento. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  3. ^ Peter Spiegel (23 January 2015). "Alexis Tsipras: Greece's radical or realist?". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας επικρατέστερος υποψήφιος του ΣΥΝ για το Δήμο Αθηναίων" (in Greek). in.gr. 11 October 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Διχασμένος ο ΣΥΝ την επομένη της υποψηφιότητας Τσίπρα για τη δημαρχία της Αθήνας". in.gr. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2023. "Ερίζουν ΣΥΝ και ΣΥΡΙΖΑ για την υποψηφιότητα Τσίπρα στο Δήμο Αθηναίων". in.gr. 13 October 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2023. "Αιχμές και γκρίνια σε ΝΔ, ΣΥΝ για τις υποψηφιότητες σε Δήμο Αθηναίων και υπερνομαρχία". in.gr. 13 October 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Σε κλίμα διχογνωμίας η απόφαση στο ΣΥΝ για τον υποψήφιο στο Δήμο Αθηναίων" (in Greek). in.gr. 5 November 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Την υποψηφιότητα Τσίπρα για το Δήμο Αθηναίων υπερψήφισε η ΚΠΕ του ΣΥΝ" (in Greek). in.gr. 6 November 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Δημοτικές -Νομαρχιακές Εκλογές 2006" (in Greek). Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  9. ^ "ΣΥΝ: "πόλεμος" 6 ημερών" (in Greek). TA NEA. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  10. ^ Δεύτερο κύμα αλλαγών στον ΣΥΝ μετά την εκλογή Τσίπρα
  11. ^ Αλ. Τσίπρας: «Ο χώρος της Αριστεράς ηττήθηκε αλλά δεν θα καταστραφεί»
  12. ^ Λ. Κύρκος: «O ΣΥΡΙΖΑ έφτασε στο τέλος του»
  13. ^ Παραιτείται από το βουλευτικό του αξίωμα ο Αλέκος Αλαβάνος
  14. ^ Σταυρόπουλος, Λάμπρος (21 June 2009). "Η εκκωφαντική παραίτηση του Αλέκου Αλαβάνου". Το Βήμα. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  15. ^ Τη Δευτέρα ο «επίλογος» της παραίτησης Αλαβάνου
  16. ^ Ανακάλεσε τελικά την παραίτησή του ο Αλέκος Αλαβάνος
  17. ^ Δεν θα είναι υποψήφιος ο Αλέκος Αλαβάνος
  18. ^ ΣΥΡΙΖΑ χωρίς τον Αλαβάνο
  19. ^ Από τις 3 μέχρι τις 6 Ιουνίου το 6ο συνέδριο του Συνασπισμού
  20. ^ Επίσημο το διαζύγιο στον Συνασπισμό
  21. ^ Η ιδρυτική διακήρυξη της Δημοκρατικής Αριστεράς[dead link]
  22. ^ Ανεξάρτητοι οι «4» της «Ανανεωτικής Πτέρυγας» του ΣΥΝ
  23. ^ «Ανοίγουμε μια νέα σελίδα» είπε ο Αλ. Τσίπρας στο συνέδριο του ΣΥΝ
  24. ^ Υπερψηφίστηκε η αυτοδιάλυση του ΣΥΝ
  25. ^ "Αποφασίστηκε η αυτοδιάλυση του Συνασπισμού" (in Greek). Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2023.