A Bold New Prime Minister Sends Ripples Through Greece’s Old Political Order · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

Caption: “Political analysts highlight the danger of a possible attack of Godzilla in Athens, if SYRIZA wins the elections” Meme tweeted by @kgougakis
Greek social media users have been tweeting in overdrive for a month but they've been on fire since January 25, the day of national legislative elections in Greece, which paved the way for the country's new bold 40-year-old prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
Tsipras, a self-described atheist, has made history by politely shunning Greece's traditional religious oath of office from the country's Archbishop. He has also become the youngest prime minister in Greek history since 1865.
That's not all. For the first time in 40 years, Greece's two big political parties PASOK or New Democracy are not in the new government, and many “traditional” families with a long history in modern Greek politics are finally out of parliament.
Many #Greeks around 40 will wake up tomorrow in a #Greece without #PASOK or #ND in govt for the first time in their lives.
— Bruno Tersago (@BrunoTersago) January 25, 2015
It all started with the unprecedented failure of the previous parliament to cast enough votes to elect a new president as head of state, which is a mostly ceremonial role. Their move triggered early general elections. The opposition accused the government of sowing fear to win support for the presidential vote and avoid elections, while former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned that “the country risked a catastrophic return to the depths of its debt crisis if the government fell” and claimed that “denial to agree on presidential selection is political blackmail”. Τhere was constant fear-mongering by the government and its allies in mainstream media that it would be the “end of the world” if SYRIZA came to government, as speculated by this article on a popular news portal in December 2014:
Και όλα δείχνουν ότι θα πορευτούν με ασκήσεις πολιτικής τρομοκρατίας, του τύπου κι επιπέδου, «ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ θα μας οδηγήσει στη χρεοκοπία», «ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ θα μας βγάλει απ’ το ευρώ», «με το ΣΥΡΙΖΑ θα αδειάσουν τα ΑΤΜ», «θα μας τινάξουν στον αέρα» και τα λοιπά, συναφή και λίγο-πολύ γνωστά!
Everything shows that [the government] will proceed with activities of political terrorism, such as “Syriza will lead us to bankruptcy”, “Syriza will get us out of Eurozone”, “ATMs will run empty, if Syriza wins”, “they will blow us apart” etc. – everything quite similar and known as before!
After the general elections, his party Syriza gathered only 149 out of 151 seats needed for a majority in a parliament of 300, so Tsipras agreed to share power with the populist rightwing party Independent Greeks (who only got 4.74% votes). Analysts are waiting to see how the two parties are going to cooperate; besides their opposition to Troika, they have totally different agendas.
I am NOT happy with SYRIZA deciding to form a coalition with Indep Greeks. They're racist, homophobic, antisemitic loonies. #ekloges2015
— Theodora Oikonomides (@IrateGreek) January 26, 2015
In a post titled “Greece wakes up to a different world”, blogger Teacherdude eloquently summarizes the coalition between Syriza and Independent Greeks:
The choice of Independent Greeks has surprised many observers, especially those abroad who find it hard to comprehend a partnership between a radical socialist party and a conservative nationalist one, Yet for Syriza this constitutes the least worst choice given the options available. The most obvious candidate for coalition partner would have been the Greek Communist Party (KKE) but anyone even vaguely aware of Greek politics would have known that such an alliance would have been impossible as KKE would never compromise on its own leftist principles which include leaving the European Union, the Eurozone and NATO.
So, in the end Independent Greeks who are often painted as a collection of right wing conspiracy theorists and borderline racists […] made the cut […]. However, the party led by Panos Kammenos repeatedly made clear its opposition to Troika imposed austerity measures and its participation will perhaps assuage more conservative Greeks that issues such as defence and policing will not be solely decided by a bunch of “wild radicals”. […]
Back to the unconventional nature of the new Greek Prime Minister, this article summarizes the many “records” of Tsipras”:
1. Youngest Prime Minister (40 years old). [correction: youngest PM of Modern Greece]
2. First PM born after “Metapolitefsi” [1974]
3. First atheist Greek PM
4. First unmarried Greek PM; he has only made cohabitation agreement.
5. First Greek PM who hasn't baptised his children, but has made a civil naming ceremony.
6. First Greek PM who takes a civil oath instead of the traditional religious oath.
7. First PM to attend swearing-in ceremony tieless.
8. First PM to originate from middle social class and not from traditional “political families”.
In Greece, where Church and State still move hand-in-hand, “every senior office-holder, from socialists to right-wing dictators, has assumed the post with a ritual involving Bibles, crosses and often holy water”. But this year, Alexis Tsipras politely informed the Archbishop that his services wouldn't be required and that a junior cleric would be invited for those who wished to take a religious oath. A breakthrough like this couldn't pass unnoticed in Greece's Twittersphere:
Eight members of new government (mostly Ind Greeks) opt for religious swearing in ceremony #Greece pic.twitter.com/PhTOzg0mSY — Derek Gatopoulos (@dgatopoulos) January 27, 2015
Watching a #Greek govt swear a #political oath is as rare as seeing a polar bear on the #Acropolis. — Bruno Tersago (@BrunoTersago) January 27, 2015
This is unprecedented, no priests. Say what you will about #Tsipras, but there are no priests!!! pic.twitter.com/RDR4TPiztj — elly vintiadis (@EllyVintiadis) January 26, 2015
The first official press release of New Democracy as an opposition party was simply its disapproval of the new government's secular oath:
A very bad start for Mr. Tsipras.
He shows off ignoring a long tradition of the Hellenic Nation, whose course is interwoven with Orthodox Christianity.
After his inauguration, Tsipras visited the National Resistance Memorial in Kessariani to honour Greeks killed by Germany and her allies in WWII:
” Αιώνια η μνήμη σε σας, αδελφοί στον τίμιο που πέσατε Αγώνα.” pic.twitter.com/KBBqRlfyPI
— a.tsipras (@atsipras) January 26, 2015
Eternal memory to you, brethren, who fell at your honest struggle
The event took place on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz, German Nazi concentration camp:
Merkel [the German Chancellor], who will mark 70th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation today, will surely appreciate #Tsipras remembering Greece anti-Nazi fighters
— Damian Mac Con Uladh (@damomac) January 26, 2015
Some netizens did not welcomeTsipras’ bold moves:
Πολιτικός όρκος, κατάθεση στεφάνου στον τόπο θυσίας των αγωνιστών της εθνικής αντίστασης. Δεν είναι Έλληνας πρωθυπουργός αυτός.
— Manolis Grigorakis (@mgrigorakis) January 26, 2015
Civil oath, wreath dedication to Greek Resistance fighters’ place of sacrifice. This is not a Greek Prime Minister.
Another political tradition in Greece is the welcoming of the new prime minister by the former one in Maximos Mansion, the official seat of state. But the event wasn't attended by outgoing prime minister Samaras. The event was gravely criticized even by conservatives, including ex-government spokesman Antonaros:
Προβληματική συμπεριφορά που εκθέτει μια ολόκληρη παράταξη. Η μεγαλοσύνη στην ήττα ειναι η σπουδαία διαφορά πού κάνει κάποιον μεγάλο ηγέτη.
— Evangelos Antonaros (@EvangAntonaros) January 26, 2015
This is a problematic behavior, exposing the entire political party. Grandeur in defeat is the big difference that defines a great leader.
Ο χειρότερος πρωθυπουργός της μεταπολίτευσης ολοκληρώνει τη θητεία του όπως του πρέπει. Με μικροψυχία.
— Δε Στρέηντζερ (@The_Stranger_gr) January 26, 2015
The worst PM after Metapolitefsi [1974] finishes his term as suited: with pettiness.
Ο Αντώνης φεύγει.. pic.twitter.com/8bT6jOOf8J
— Βασίλης Ρόγγας (@VasilisRongas) January 27, 2015
Antonis leaves…
A popular Facebook page with daily Greek quotes and memes shares following image:
Last but not least, all eyes are on the far-right Golden Dawn's third place in the Greek Parliament. Seventeen MPs from the party were elected.
“First party [Syriza]: indignation. Second party [New Democracy]: convenience and comfort. Third party [Golden Dawn]: uneducation. The three characteristics of Greeks. Source: Facebook page “Frappe Ministry”
#GoldenDawn got ~38.000 votes and one seat less than in 2012. It's a good start, despite it coming 3rd in the #ekloges2015.
— Stefanos Livos (@stefivos) January 26, 2015
“40-50% of police in Athens voted for #GoldenDawn” (@tovimagr) http://t.co/PabbVXuZsN one of #Tsipras‘ biggest challenges #ekloges2015
— Asteris Masouras 正义 (@asteris) January 26, 2015