New Left loses parliamentary group after seven MPs quit
New Left will lose its status as a parliamentary group after seven lawmakers announced their departure, reducing its representation below the minimum threshold of 10 MPs required in parliament.
The departing lawmakers include former party leader Alexis Charitsis, Effie Achtsioglou, Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, Nassos Iliopoulos, Hussein Zeybek, Theano Fotiou and Meropi Tzoufi.
Their departure leaves the party with four MPs, including Euclid Tsakalotos, Theodoros Dritsas, Sia Anagnostopoulou and Peti Perka.
Split reflects broader reshaping of the left
In a joint statement co-signed by 143 party members, the departing lawmakers said the political project launched two years ago had reached its limits and could no longer meet the need for a broader left-wing alternative.
They cited strategic disagreements with the party leadership, arguing that the current direction focused too heavily on preserving political identity rather than building a majority political force capable of achieving change.
The split comes amid a wider reconfiguration of Greece's opposition following the electoral decline of SYRIZA and the recent political return of former prime minister Alexis Tsipras through the launch of a new party.
Achtsioglou denies coordination with Tsipras
Achtsioglou, who also announced she would resign her parliamentary seat, rejected suggestions that her departure was linked to Tsipras' newly established Greek Left Alliance.
Speaking to Mega TV, she said the decision stemmed from long-standing disagreements over the party's strategy and insisted she had not spoken with Tsipras since 2023.
"My decision was independent," she said, adding that she wanted to contribute to a political force that does not currently exist in parliament.
While welcoming Tsipras' initiative as a development that could energize the opposition, Achtsioglou said she had not decided whether to join the new party.
The New Left said it was "saddened" but "not surprised" by the departures, arguing that the move had been planned for some time and was directly connected to preparations surrounding Tsipras' new political venture.
