Course_of_Freedom

Course of Freedom

Course of Freedom

Political party in Greece


Course of Freedom (Greek: Πλεύση Ελευθερίας, romanized: Plefsi Eleftherias) is a Greek anti-establishment[13][23][7] political party founded on 19 April 2016, by former President of the Hellenic Parliament, Zoe Konstantopoulou.[24]

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History

After the agreement for the Third Economic Adjustment Programme for Greece by the first government of SYRIZA-ANEL, in opposition to this Zoe Konstantopoulou dissociated her anti-austerity views from the party as part of a breakaway of a nationalist, Eurosceptic, hard left faction, and participated in the following legislative elections as the leader of Popular Unity in Athens A'.[25][26][27] However, the party did not manage to achieve the electoral threshold for representation in the legislature.

On 19 April 2016, she announced the founding of Course of Freedom. According to its founding declaration, the party's purpose of action consists of democracy, justice, transparency, rights, debt cancellation and claim for World War II reparations.[28]

Konstantopoulou, along with the party, had attended and called for support of the "Macedonia name" anti-Prespa Agreement mass protests of 2018 and 2019, with the slogan "I'm not ceding my homeland", having been the only political figure of the Greek left to openly do so.[29][30][7][6]

The party cooperates electorally with the I Don't Pay Movement, whose leaders were included in Course of Freedom's ballot to run in the European and Greek national elections of 2019.[31][32]

Course of Freedom was able to enter the Hellenic Parliament at the June 2023 legislative election, scoring 3.17% and electing 8 members of Parliament.[33]

The party condemned the attacks on health facilities during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war after party president Konstantopoulou met with the Palestinian envoy,[34] expressing her support for the Palestinian people; she vowed that Course of Freedom will "be the voice" of Palestine in Greece[35]

Ideology

Course of Freedom was established on an anti-memoranda ideology,[24] based on its founder's Zoe Konstantopoulou's hardliner[36] opposition to austerity, neoliberalism, "tax inequality", Greece's creditors, and the Troika,[9][37][38][39][40] and has been seen as "left-wing populist".[7][10] It has been described by political commentators as left-wing,[41][42][43][44][45] "nominally left",[46][27][47] or far-left,[48][49][50] although Konstantopoulou describes it as anti-establishment and "neither left nor right" instead.[23] The party's political position has also been considered to be "catch-all",[47] accruing support from both left-wing and right-wing voters, including a component from the far-right,[7][51] owning to its generalized anti-establishment positions.[7][51] Course of Freedom is considered to be a sovereignist party[7] and appeals to nationalist sentiments,[46][9] and has been labelled as "nationalist left"[5][4][52] or left-wing nationalist.[3][53][54]

Course of Freedom's political position has also been evaluated as solely anti-establishment[13][55][56][57] or simply populist "anti-systemic".[58][9] It is considered to be a radical formation,[16][15] espousing a virulent rejection of all politicians while still embracing legalism and institutionalism.[7]

Konstantopoulou has criticized privatizations, taxation increases, "media oligarchs", and auctioning off and bank seizures of homes of overindebted families and electronic auctions.[11] The party has also come in support of refugees, the LGBT community, opponents to COVID-19 vaccination, and of victims of sexism and sexual violence.[7]

Course of Freedom is an Hard Eurosceptic party, with Konstantopoulou calling the European Union a "monstrous creation" lacking in democracy that is "not a union to belong to";[14][59] the party's founding declaration denounces "Eurobureaucracy" as totalitarianism.[60]

Konstantopoulou and the party have also launched a "Don't Pay" movement and a campaign of "general disobedience" towards debts, taxes and insurance contributions since 2017.[61]

Positions

The party's positions include the cancellation of the country's national debt (that Zoe Konstantopoulou has previously during her time in government affirmed as "illegal, illegitimate, odious and unsustainable" and "unconstitutionally accumulated"[62] based on the report of the Hellenic Parliament's Greek Debt Truth Commission[63]), opposition to the Prespa naming agreement on North Macedonia's name and calling for a referendum on it,[64] claiming German war reparations and loans of up to €350 billion,[14] additional compensation for Nazi atrocities,[23] expanding Greece's territorial waters to 10km, and opposition to mandatory vaccination.[65] The party's program includes confiscation of property of bankers and politicians who will be deemed responsible for the country's inclusion in the Memoranda, and also shutting down all media accused of "propaganda and entanglement" and doing away with the riot control known as MAT, replacing the last two with citizen collaboration/participation alternatives.[66][67]

Its founding declaration supports positions of popular democracy and participatory democracy, and includes proposals like the institutionalization of mandatory referendums, citizen participation in the justice system, renationalization of all public enterprises and public assets, the dissolution of the HRADF S.A, and an accountancy audit of Greek debt, insurance funds and state-owned institutions.[60]

Course of Freedom has supported and voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage[68]

Composition

Participating partners

Τhe following members are nationally affiliated by running in elections using Course of Freedom's ballot:

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Election results

Hellenic Parliament

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European Parliament

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References

  1. Lafazanis: We wish you success in the "Freedom Sailing" of Zoi :"Panagiotis Lafazanis commented on the change of course of Zoe Konstantopoulou, who separated her position from LAE by founding the "Pleusi Eleftherias" party." TV without Frontiers 19 April 2016, Retrieved 26 June 2023
  2. "Greece". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  3. New Greek Parliament Barron's 26 June 2023, Retrieved 27 June 2023
  4. The Macedonia Question "...they also touched a chord on sectors of a "patriotic left"...the rally was also supported by Zoe Konstantopoulou, the former president of the Greek parliament and founder of the "Course of Freedom" movement", Jacobin.com by Stathis Kouvelakis March 2018, Retrieved 24 June 2019
  5. "Zoe Konstantopoulou: Each child in Greece owes 32,500 euros". ThemaNews. Proto Thema. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  6. If you love Greece, help us get rid of Alexis Tsipras and his zombie party : "We ask for the support of all progressives, including our friends in the Labour party..." The Guardian by Zoe Konstantopoulou 7 September 2018, Retrieved 24 June 2019
  7. "Greece". Europe Elects. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  8. Why the Left Fell and the Right Rose in Greece, Politics Today, 31 July 2023, Retrieved 15 September 2023
  9. "New Democracy Victory Reinforces Political Continuity in Greece". FitchSolutions.com. BMI Research. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  10. Uğur Ekinci, Mehmet; Yusufoğlu, Yusuf (31 July 2023). "Why the Left Fell and the Right Rose in Greece". Politics Today. There is fierce competition among left-wing parties to fill the vacuum left by SYRIZA's decline. The Course of Freedom (PE) party, led by Zoe Konstantopoulou, a former SYRIZA member, managed to enter the parliament with a program close to the radical views that SYRIZA advocated before it came to power.
  11. "Minister Christos Stylianides causes a stir with "Cyprus is half Turkish" comment". Neos Kosmos (newspaper). 22 February 2024. This comment garnered reactions from Greek and Cypriot politicians and parties, with far-right Ελληνική Λύση (Greek Solution) party MP Kostas Hitas saying he had been "left speechless" and left wing Course of Freedom party leader Zoe Konstantopoulou demanding a retraction.
  12. Messinis, Aris (26 June 2023). "Conservatives win Greek elections". Azərbaycan24. Another newcomer in the legislature is the left-wing Course of Freedom party, whose leader Zoe Konstantopoulou briefly served as speaker in 2015.
  13. "Postal Vote for Euro-Parliament Elex, Referendums Passed By Ruling Party Majority". To Vima. 24 January 2024. Voting in favor were all 158 MPs of ruling New Democracy (ND) party, while six deputies of the small left-wing "Plefsi Eleftherias" (Course of Freedom) party – founded and headed by former Parliament president Zoe Konstantopoulou – voted "present".
  14. Maltezou, Renee (22 June 2023). Frances Kerry (ed.). "Explainer-Greece's election on Sunday: how the system works". SWI swissinfo. Opinion polls suggest that up to seven parties could enter parliament, including the leftist Plefsi Eleftherias, founded by former Syriza lawmaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, and a newly set up far-right party called Spartans.
  15. Z. Konstantopoulou: "The attack on the Freedom Cruise is neither from within nor spontaneous" : "...the other parties are even stealing the slogans of Freedom of Navigation. In particular, "since 2019, we have been saying "we are neither looking to the right nor to the left, we are looking forward...", ERT, Ert-news 12 June 2023, Retrieved 22 June 2023
  16. Zoe Konstantopoulou: Mr. Tsipras is destroying the country : "Precisely how would Plefsi Eleftherias describe its political identity? Some critics say that you do not belong to the Left [...] We are a force that aims to overturn the establishment, and we are appealing to all democratically active citizens, without the walls of old-party divisions. We look neither to the Left nor the Right" in.gr 21 October 2018, Retrieved 24 June 2019
  17. Evgenia Choros (15 April 2016). "Zoe Konstantopoulou to Present New Party 'Course to Freedom'". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  18. "Zoe bolts SYRIZA, will cooperate with new radical left party". Proto Thema. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  19. "Ιδρυτική Διακήρυξη". Freedom Sailing. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  20. Greeks not ready to give up the name Macedonia Kosovo 2.0 9 February 2018, Retrieved 29 June 2023
  21. "Greece working with UN to send aid to Gaza". ekathimerini.com. Kathimerini. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  22. "Zoe Konstantopoulou announces new party". themanews.com. Proto Thema. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  23. "Greece: Can't pay, is paying". Red Pepper. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  24. Uğur Ekinci, Mehmet; Yusufoğlu, Yusuf (31 July 2023). "Why the Left Fell and the Right Rose in Greece". Politics Today. There is fierce competition among left-wing parties to fill the vacuum left by SYRIZA's decline. The Course of Freedom (PE) party, led by Zoe Konstantopoulou, a former SYRIZA member, managed to enter the parliament with a program close to the radical views that SYRIZA advocated before it came to power.
  25. "Minister Christos Stylianides causes a stir with "Cyprus is half Turkish" comment". Neos Kosmos (newspaper). 22 February 2024. This comment garnered reactions from Greek and Cypriot politicians and parties, with far-right Ελληνική Λύση (Greek Solution) party MP Kostas Hitas saying he had been "left speechless" and left wing Course of Freedom party leader Zoe Konstantopoulou demanding a retraction.
  26. Messinis, Aris (26 June 2023). "Conservatives win Greek elections". Azərbaycan24. Another newcomer in the legislature is the left-wing Course of Freedom party, whose leader Zoe Konstantopoulou briefly served as speaker in 2015.
  27. "Postal Vote for Euro-Parliament Elex, Referendums Passed By Ruling Party Majority". To Vima. 24 January 2024. Voting in favor were all 158 MPs of ruling New Democracy (ND) party, while six deputies of the small left-wing "Plefsi Eleftherias" (Course of Freedom) party – founded and headed by former Parliament president Zoe Konstantopoulou – voted "present".
  28. Maltezou, Renee (22 June 2023). Frances Kerry (ed.). "Explainer-Greece's election on Sunday: how the system works". SWI swissinfo. Opinion polls suggest that up to seven parties could enter parliament, including the leftist Plefsi Eleftherias, founded by former Syriza lawmaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, and a newly set up far-right party called Spartans.
  29. Konstantopoulou aims to double her party's vote Kathimerini, e-Kathimerini 28 May 2023, Retrieved 16 May 2023
  30. "Party leaders agree on a second poll". No. 25 May 2023. Kathimerini. e-Kathimerini. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  31. "Greece: Parties at a glance". PolitPro. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  32. The true message from the ballot box Kathimerini, e-Kathimerini 27 June 2023, Retrieved 29 June 2023
  33. Aims and expectations in Sunday's election Kathimerini, e-Kathimerini 21 May 2023, Retrieved 21 June 2023
  34. "Greek Election: No good News for migrants and refugees". Lens.Civicus.org. CIVICUS. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  35. Mitsotakis before his second term 26 June 2023 Die Tageszeitung (taz.de) , Retrieved 8 September 2023
  36. Poll gives New Democracy 21.5-point lead over SYRIZA Kathimerini, e-Kathimerini 23/06/20230, Retrieved 26 June 2023
  37. Kathimerini, e-Kathimerini 13/06/20230, Retrieved 27 June 2023
  38. Populist Right Finds Fertile Ground in Greece Agenda Pūblica 26 June 2023, Retrieved 27 June 2023
  39. "'I don't pay' movement by Zoe Konstantopoulou". Parapolitika [el]. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  40. Greek debt 'illegal, illegitimate and odious' BBC, BBC News 18 June 2015, Retrieved 24 June 2023
  41. Greek parliament votes in support of Macedonia name change : "Zoe Konstantopoulou, former parliamentary speaker for Syriza and now leader of the pseudo-left Course of Freedom (Plevsi Eleftherias), called in the newspaper Ta Nea for a referendum on the deal.", World Socialist Web Site 30 January 2019, Retrieved 30 June 2023
  42. "Surprise performance for two minor parties". eKathimerini. Καθημερινή. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

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