The meeting between Alexis Tsipras and the heads of ELAS departments, marking his first official political engagement after the summer break, signaled his intention to significantly intensify his confrontation with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
However, the former prime minister appears determined to avoid following the government into an increasingly toxic political environment or responding to what he has described as deliberate attempts to provoke him.
Instead, Tsipras is preparing to draw on his experience in government alongside a comprehensive governance programme that he is expected to present in Thessaloniki on September 2, ahead of Mitsotakis’ appearance at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
His strategy appears aimed at setting the political agenda for the coming election period and reviving a direct political contest between himself and Mitsotakis.
Tsipras Chooses His Opponent
“We are preparing, and everyone should keep this in mind, not only to fight but to govern,” Tsipras told ELAS sector leaders.
His message was clear: the objective is not simply to challenge the current government but to present ELAS as an alternative governing force.
While government officials have recently appeared to focus their attacks on PASOK, Tsipras and his political circle view this as an attempt to delay what they see as the more significant political confrontation.
Tsipras intends to position Mitsotakis as his principal opponent and frame the political battle around the question of political integrity, contrasting what he presents as honesty with allegations of corruption.
From his perspective, this confrontation could ultimately define the campaign leading up to the next national elections.
Government attacks against PASOK, including the recent parliamentary confrontation surrounding the election of Maria Akrita as a vice president of Parliament, are seen as targeting PASOK’s traditional electorate rather than attempting to establish the party as the government’s main political rival.
Center-left figures have also argued that New Democracy has an interest in keeping SYRIZA divided while Tsipras remains outside the party’s leadership structure. At the same time, they say the government is attempting to influence PASOK by portraying it as moving toward the left and encouraging anti-Tsipras voters to remain within its orbit.
ELAS Begins Organizational Expansion
With Tsipras preparing to officially mark the beginning of what he views as the election period through the presentation of his government programme on September 2, ELAS is entering a new phase of organizational development.
The process has been seen by party officials as slower than expected, prompting calls for a faster expansion of the party’s structures across the country.
ELAS Secretary Miltos Hatzigiannakis is expected to announce regional coordinators, although these officials will not be eligible to stand as parliamentary candidates.
Members of the coordinating committees are expected to be announced over the next 10 days.
Tsipras has already signaled a more outward looking approach, calling on the organization to step up its engagement with society through thematic events and initiatives held in cooperation with prospective parliamentary candidates.
The move is designed to strengthen ELAS’ presence at the local level while preparing the party for a potential election campaign.
