Alexis Tsipras: A Profile Of Syriza's Leader

Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 20.18

Alexis Tsipras could become the youngest prime minister of Greece since 1865 but just who is he and what does he represent?

:: Teen revolutionary

Mr Tsipras joined the Young Communists Society in the 1980s and by 1991 at the age of 17 organised the occupation of his high school in protest at education reforms.

Pupils ate and slept at the school and he told an interviewer at the time: "We want the right to judge for ourselves whether to skip class."

He went on to university to study to become a civil engineer, where he continued his political rise.

:: Youngest ever political leader

In 2008 at the age of 34 he became the leader of the Syriza party, which was formed in 2004 as a coalition of left-wing groups ranging from the Maoists to the Greens.

Hailed for his no fear, firebrand approach and commitment to an anti-austerity agenda, he led the party to take a 27% vote share in the 2012 general election. It made Syriza the second biggest party in the Greek parliament.

:: Tie-hater

He doesn't like ties. Simple as that. Doesn't wear them, won't wear them.

When asked about it recently, he said: "If you haven't seen me wearing a tie until now, I doubt that you will as prime minister."

Ahead of the 2012 election his predilection for motorbikes, rather than the limos favoured by other party leaders, was much-documented. However, it has been noted that he is more likely seen in the family car these days.

:: Che Guevara fanatic

Although he has toned down his approach ahead of this election he still has a passion for the revolutionary Che Guevara.

His youngest son (he has two with his partner Peristera Batziana) has the middle name Ernesto by way of tribute.

:: Austerity opponent

Firmly anti-austerity, he wants to renegotiate the terms of the EU-IMF bailout, and wants Europe to agree to erase most of Greece's debt.

However, the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, has said the country has "no wiggle room".

Greece has suffered five years of recession, tax hikes and record unemployment (one in four people don't have a job).

:: Good thing or bad thing?

Critics have described Mr Tsipras as "power-hungry", suggesting he would sacrifice Greece for his own political ambitions.

But he is popular with the people. He has promised to raise salaries and pensions, halt layoffs and freeze the privatisation of state assets.

He has sought to boost his international standing meeting Pope Francis and the European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, as well as writing columns in international newspapers, including the Financial Times.

But he continues to refer to the austerity measures placed on Greece as terms of the EU-IMF £188bn bailout as "fiscal waterboarding".

However, ultimately he says that Greece's future in Europe is not a future of austerity and that has triggered fears of a Grexit.

:: Panathinaikos fan

Born in 1974, the year that marked the end of the junta which persecuted Communists, Mr Tsipras grew up in the shadow of the Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium. He has remained a fan.


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