![]() ![]() ![]() The new socialism must be based on knowledge and skills."īut in times of crisis, Neolaia SYRIZA also has a direct connection to the territory. With a hint of the idealism, Alexandros mentions the models of Latin America 's Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales as he speaks of excesses of the current capitalist vision, and dreams of cooperation and of civil rights. But why should a young person yearn for a new kind of socialism in 2014? "Today, many young people are highly educated and have skills that could be used in a different way. Our goal is to create a 21st century socialism," a statement taken directly from the official party manifesto. "We try to take the positive things from the communist tradition and try to revitalise them. What does it means to be a young activist of a left-wing party in modern society? "It is a question that we're always trying to answer," he confesses. They criticise everything, they think they hold the truth. Instead, I believe that political action must lead to results and for that reason, I chose SYRIZA," he says with conviction. We have some aspects in common with the Greek Communist Party, but they are motivated by Stalinist ideology and have a very strict and closed policy on alliances. "SYRIZA is the child of the communist tradition. ![]() It also opposes the liberal model through "solidarity between nations and peoples in Europe."Īlexandros passionately recounts the party’s history. Officially founded in December 2013, Neolaia SYRIZA arises from the attempt to give a European flavour to efforts against the crisis. As we walk to the campus of the National Kapodistrian University, his explanation is illuminating and sometimes methodical, suggesting a certain familiarity with the media. ![]() There are even some soldiers in the building’s garrison, and one of the soldiers aggressively asks us to show him our permit to take photos.Īt the Panepistimio metro station, we meet Alexandros Zachiotis, our contact. A 25-year-old student, he has been active in the youth section of Synaspismós, the largest party of the political alliance that gave birth to the SYRIZA coalition in 2004. The group, whose acronym means Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Coalition of the Radical Left, became a real political party in 2012. The tension is palpable and the atmosphere electric. A little further on, in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Economy, university students demonstrate against the government, while waving the flags of communist labour union PAME. "After five years of protests, Greece is radicalising towards the left," says a young medical student. At Syntagma Square, on a warm morning, students from a music school protest against the recent cuts for public transportation in front of a police barricade. The young activists are at the campus of the University of Athens.īut our attempt to approach the radical left-wing is full of mishaps that offer an insight into the country's political thermometer. We will never enter inside the premises of 52 Themistocleous Street. Only the party flags differentiate it from the anarchists and anti-fascists who dominate the neighbourhood. The building is anonymous and a bit shabby. Tsipras is a rising star in Greek politics and is a nightmare of the Brussels Troika. Next to Exarchia Square, we find the headquarters of Neolaia SYRIZA, the youth faction of Alexis Tsipras' political party. It is no coincidence that it is in this main square that protests began in 2008, after the murder of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropulos by the police. In the streets of this 'free zone', murals, community centres, cafés, and alternative bookstores abound, but you will not find a bank. It is the artistic and cultural centre outside the control of the ruling powers, at least since 1973, when the remarkable Polytechnic rebelled against the dictatorship of the Colonels. We are at Exarchia, the feared anarchist bastion of Athens. The road climbs smoothly towards Strefi Hill is called Themistocleous. We travel to Athens to discover Neolaia SYRIZA. From the Exarchia district to the university campus, cafébabel met the youth faction of the most radical left-wing party. So, who are these young children of the Greek left and what are their views? ![]()
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