.
The Independent Greeks (Greek: Ανεξάρτητοι Έλληνες, Anexartitoi Ellines, ANEL) is a conservative,[11] national-conservative and right-wing populist[4][5] political party in Greece. The party won 13 seats in Greece's January 2015 parliamentary election and agreed to join a coalition government led by the left-wing SYRIZA.[12]
Foundation
The party was created on 24 February 2012 by Panos Kammenos, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the conservative party New Democracy (ND).[13] Kammenos had been expelled from the New Democracy parliamentary group after voting against Lucas Papademos' coalition government in a vote of confidence. The party's founding declaration was issued on 11 March 2012.[14] Ten former ND deputies were founding members of the party, namely Elena Koundoura, Christos Zois (el), Kostas Markopoulos (el), Dimitris Stamatis (el), Spyros Galinos, Mika Iatridi (el), Maria Kollia-Tsaroucha (el), Panagiotis Melas and Michalis Giannakis (el)[15]
On 17 April 2012, the small left-wing anti-bailout party Panhellenic Citizen Chariot reached an election cooperation agreement with the Independent Greeks.[16]
Policies
Economically, the party calls for revoking the first and second memorandums, loan agreements between Greece, the EU and the International Monetary Fund.[4][5][13] Further, it considers the agreements illegal and calls for lifting immunity from and then investigating and prosecuting Greek ministers, parliamentarians, and officials who negotiated the agreements or who otherwise bear blame for Greece's economic crisis.[4][5][13]
In opposing the memorandums negotiated with 'The Troika', party leader Kammenos said Greece had become a "laboratory animal" in an austerity experiment conducted by the IMF and EU, who "used the public debt as a means of control."[17] Kammenos has focused much of his fire on Germany, stating that "Germany is not treating Greece as a partner but as its master. … It tries to turn a Europe of independent states into a Europe dominated by Germany."[18]
The party's official program states it will repudiate part of Greece's debt because it was created by speculators in a conspiracy to bring Greece to the edge of bankruptcy.[18] It announced in December 2012 that it would start working to create a patriotic Democratic Front, whose aim is to save "Greece from the neo-liberal avalanche."[19]
The party also calls for German war reparations (for the invasion and occupation of Greece in the Second World War).[14]
On social policy, Independent Greeks oppose multiculturalism and want to reduce immigration,[20][21][22] and support development of a Christian Orthodox oriented education system.[23] Roman Gerodimos, a specialist on Greek politics, says the party has a record of xenophobic and homophobic policies.[24][dubious – discuss]
According to The Independent the party took right away "a socially right-wing stance, supporting patriotism and the role of the Greek Orthodox church in family life and education".[25]
Representation
Prior to the May 2012 legislative election, the party had 11 MPs: 10 defectors from New Democracy and one from Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).
The party gained 10.6% of the vote and 33 MPs in the parliamentary election in May 2012.[26] In the snap June 2012 legislative election, ANEL received 7.5% of the vote, which reduced the party's representation to 20 MPs.[26]
In the 2014 European Parliament election held on 25 May 2014, ANEL received 3.5% of the vote, electing a single MEP who sits with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. The MEP, Notis Marias, left ANEL, however, and is now an independent member of the ECR group.
In the legislative election held on 25 January 2015, ANEL received 4.75% of the vote and returned 13 MPs to the Hellenic Parliament.[27] On 26 January 2015, ANEL agreed to form a governing coalition with the Coalition of the Radical Left.[28]
Election results
Hellenic Parliament
| Hellenic Parliament | ||||||||
| Date | Votes | Seats | Position | Size | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ± pp | # | ± | ||||
| 05/2012 | 670,957 | 10.6% |
33 / 300
|
Opposition | 4th | |||
| 06/2012 | 462,406 | 7.5% |  3.1 |
20 / 300
|
13 |
Opposition | 4th | |
| 2015 | 293,371 | 4.8% | 2.7 |
13 / 300
|
7 |
Government | 6th | |
European Parliament
| European Parliament | ||||||
| Date | Votes | Seats | Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ± pp | # | ± | ||
| 2014 | 197,701 | 3.5% |
1 / 21
|
7th | ||
References
"Kammenos attracts another New Democracy breakaway", Athens News, 20 March 2012
Wolfram Nordsieck (2015). "Parties and Elections in Europe – Greece". Parties-and-elections.eu.
"Venizelos draws battle lines for general elections", Ekathimerini, 15 March 2012
Boyka M. Stefanova (14 November 2014). The European Union beyond the Crisis: Evolving Governance, Contested Policies, and Disenchanted Publics. Lexington Books. p. 261. ISBN 978-1-4985-0348-8.
Christian Karner; Bram Mertens (30 September 2013). The Use and Abuse of Memory: Interpreting World War II in Contemporary European Politics. Transaction Publishers. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4128-5203-6.
"Migration woes take centre stage ahead of Greek election", The New Age, 3 April 2012
Mannin, Michael (2013). Evaluating the Europeanization Effect. The Europeanization of European Politics (Palgrave Macmillan). p. 210.
Squires, Nick. "Greek election: who are Independent Greeks?". The Telegraph.
Chu, Ben. "Greece elections: Who are Syriza and what effect will their new government have on Europe?". The Independent.
The counselors of the Regions.
Tom Lansford (7 April 2014). Political Handbook of the World 2014. SAGE Publications. p. 549. ISBN 978-1-4833-3327-4.
Syriza and Independent Greeks agree Greece coalition, BBC, 25 January 2015
"Ousted New Democracy MP starts own party", Ekathimerini, 24 February 2012
"Kammenos introduces Independent Greeks", Athens News, 11 March 2012
"Ten former ND MPs move with Kammenos", Capital, 14 March 2012
"ekathimerini.com - Profile of parties running in May 6 Greek elections". ekathimerini.com.
"Greek election: who are Independent Greeks?". Telegraph. 26 January 2015.
"Greek conservative rebel battles German "domination"", National Post, 23 April 2012
Independent Greeks respond to the scenarios for the collapse of the party with a founding congress grreporter.info
"Ανεξάρτητοι Έλληνες για μεταναστευτικό ". YouTube.
" 12/03/2013". Anexartitoiellines.gr. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
" 19/03/2014". Anexartitoiellines.gr. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
"Η παρουσίαση του κόμματος ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΤΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ από τον Πάνο Καμμένο στο Δίστομο στις" (PDF). Anexartitoiellines.gr. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
"After Syriza Victory, Alexis Tsipras May Find His Alliance With Independent Greeks Short-Lived". Ibtimes.com. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
Lizzie Dearden (2015-01-26). "Independent Greeks: Who are Syriza's right-wing coalition partners and what do they want? - Europe – World". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. (1 March 2013). Britannica Book of the Year 2013. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. p. 427. ISBN 978-1-62513-103-4.
[1][dead link]
"BBC News - Greece anti-bailout leader Tsipras made prime minister". BBC News.
External links
Official party website
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