Since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974,it has been an unwritten law of politics in Athens that former heads of government should avoid the limelight and refrain from making comments or giving advice.
Silence, however, doesn’t seem to be an option any longer for former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. He ruled Greece from 2015 to 2019 at the height of the debt crisis. Although Tsipras had kept a low profile in recent years, the former idol of the Greek left is now working on a comeback.
Following numerous rumors, Tsipras finally confirmed that he intends to form a new party. In early October, he announced his resignation from the left-wing opposition party Syriza. He had been their chairman until June 2023, and relinquished his seat in parliament.
In an interview with the left-wing daily media outlet Efimerida ton Syntakton, the former prime minister declared that he wanted “a reorganization of the progressive opposition, which today cannot fulfill its role in society.” In other words, he is thinking about a restart under his command.
A successful new start for Tsipras?
Tsipras’ departure represents the end for Syriza, political scientist Lefteris Kousoulis told DW.
“Syriza is currently polling at just under 4% and would struggle to enter parliament if elections were held today,” Kousoulis said.
Tsipras said he now plans to “speak directly to the citizens.”
This was also the case in the summer of 2015, when he and his finance minister at the time, Yanis Varoufakis, called a referendum against austerity measures and attempted to rebel against international creditors. However, in the end, they failed.
“Tsipras did the right thing back then, but he was completely on his own,” Martin Schirdewan, leader of Germany’s Left Party in the European Parliament, told DW in summer of 2025.
The conservatives who have been ruling Athens since 2019 have a different view.
“I am fighting to ensure that Greece does not become the laughing stock of Europe again — as it was when you ruled the country,” conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently said to the left-wing opposition during a heated exchange in parliament.
“There is currently a huge vacuum in Athens’ politics,” political scientist Kousoulis said.
The opposition is weaker and more fragmented than ever before, he explains. This benefits not only the conservative head of government Mitsotakis, but also the left-wing politician Tsipras, whose new party could appeal to up to 20% of voters, according to polls.
Tsipras will remain silent no more
Across Greece, Tsipras’ memoires are eagerly awaited. His autobiography will be published in November. Publisher Costas Dardanos fueled the excitement on the business portal Naftemporiki.gr:
“All kinds of people have already talked about the debt crisis and given their opinions. Now it’s time for Alexis Tsipras, the protagonist of that era, to tell his side of the story.”
Tsipras reportedly also has a lot to say about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
And from now on, the left-wing politician intends to comment on important current issues. He already shared his opinion on the presidential election in northern Cyprus on October 19: Tsipras wished the election winner Tufan Erhurman “much strength” and spoke of “expectations for a resumption of peace talks” on the divided island.
Turkey is the only country in the world that considers the northern third of Cyprus the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.” Greece, like all other countries, considers the entire island one unified nation: the Republic of Cyprus.
Samaras, a popular right-wing voice in Greece
A Greek-Turkish rapprochement with Tsipras’ blessing brings another former prime minister to mind: Antonis Samaras, the figurehead of the conservatives and head of government from 2012 to 2015.
For years, the former prime minister has criticized Athens’ “appeasement foreign policy” and alleged “concessions” to all neighboring countries. He was infuriated by the Prespa Agreement, with which Tsipras and North Macedonia’s then-Prime Minister Zoran Zaev ended the controversy over the name of the neighboring country in 2018. A possible rapprochement between Greece and Turkey is even more of a thorn in Samaras’ side.
In late 2024, Prime Minister Mitsotakis pulled the emergency brake and expelled the notorious critic from the conservative New Democracy party. Since then, Samaras has dialed up his fundamental criticism of his conservative rival’s policies.
“Greece is marginalized and absent internationally, as if we had abandoned our own foreign policy,” he told Athens newspaper Ta Nea in May.
According to media reports in Athens, the formation of a “patriotic” party under Samaras’ leadership is only a matter of time.
“There is much to suggest that Samaras will form his own party,” political scientist Kousoulis said as well.
This would put additional pressure from the right on the ruling conservatives. Important foreign policy decisions would become more difficult, but probably not fundamentally called into question, Kousoulis believes.
Flourishing crony system
There is still one question to be answered: As a rule, former politicians enjoy their retirement — or they look for a lucrative job in the private sector. So why are two former prime ministers in Greece currently eager to return to the political arena?
“If there were genuine internal party democracy in this country, we would certainly see new faces in high party offices,” Kousoulis said.
However, in the current system of nepotism, this is not so easy, the Athens-based political observer said. As a consequence, at least in Kousoulis’ view, Greece sees the old guard returning to the big stage with supposedly new ideas.
This article was originally written in German.
