SYRIZA’s aim for ‘progressive gov’t’ stymied
Party shifts from ideas of building coalition of losers, then tolerance, to one of special purpose
The narrative of “progressive governance” espoused by SYRIZA is constantly coming up against a brick wall put up by prospective candidate partners.
As a result the party has been constantly modifying its strategy combined with a dose of pressure on center-left PASOK.
SYRIZA’s shifts are an attempt to show that progressive governance excludes the second elections with a different electoral system in July that ruling New Democracy wants, as well as the risk of successive elections.
It is a fact that the simple proportional representation is the only electoral system in which the parliamentary majority does not depend entirely on the ranking of the parties.
It is the tool that favors coalition governments and in exceptional, but not unlikely, cases could support a coalition of two or even three minority forces.
From the outset, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras postulated no scenario other than a party victory, but at the start of the election period the scenario of a government of losing parties came to the fore, based on the view that the simple proportional representation cannot be “decommissioned” and must be used.
Top-ranking cadres said that if the numbers added up, SYRIZA, PASOK and MeRA25 could discuss their common future. Several party members even now believe that if the defeat by ND is small, such discussions could take place. However, leading party figure Euclid Tsakalotos made clarifying statements, stating that only a clear victory is necessary for the formation of a progressive government.
MeRA25 leader Yanis Varoufakis changed the electoral context even more with his references to his Dimitra program and currency. And it was then in April, when Tsipras left open the possibility of a so-called “tolerance government,” which does not rely on the affirmative vote of at least 151 out of 300 members of parliament. As expected, there was no positive response. Varoufakis’ insistence on his anti-memorandum rhetoric then put him out of the frame for any cooperation. Appreciating both the reactions and the the refusal of communist KKE, Tsipras did not insist, stating that the government of tolerance is not his goal because it cannot be a long-term one.
The message became blurred again and the pendulum continued to swing when Tsipras said after the party leaders’ debate that he did not rule out the possibility of forming a “special purpose” government.
