Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras presented his political memoir Ithaki (Ithaca) on Wednesday evening at the Pallas Theater in Athens in an event that reflected on his years in office but also signaled his intentions to form a new party.
Tsipras used the presentation to outline the “next day” for Greece, emphasizing the urgent need for a new mindset and a different collective political culture. His message focused on reinvigorating citizen engagement in politics. His address delivered a full-frontal critique of the conservative government, calling for “resistance to the absolutism of the oligarchy and kleptocracy that governs today.”
Tsipras defended his record in government
Defending the record of his 2015-2019 administration, Tsipras highlighted that he handed over a country where “the sacrifices of the people did not become direct contracts, did not become deposits in tax havens, or millions parked in murky offshore companies.”
He also targeted those he held responsible for driving Greece into the bailout—“those who bankrupted the country and delivered it to the mercy of the lenders.” Wednesday’s event effectively marked the start of the second phase of Tsipras’ return to the political stage following his resignation as SYRIZA MP in October.
The former Prime Minister’s vision
Tsipras presented his own vision for the country’s direction, offering a critical assessment of the political, economic, and social situation, and accusing the ruling majority of choices that had “led the country into deadlock.”
He also argued that the economy remained guided by “old recipes that drove society onto the rocks,” resulting in “provocative wealth in few hands.” Regarding the writing of Ithaki, Tsipras described the book as a statement of his determination not to abandon the struggle for “historical truth and memory,” stressing that history is not the monopoly of those who consider themselves victors. In referring to the wide attention the memoir had received since its release, he noted that Ithaki, through what it reveals, “could defend both itself and the truth.”
In a symbolic gesture, Tsipras had arranged for the theater’s front rows to be reserved not for officials but for ordinary citizens, along with some members of the Alexis Tsipras Institute.
Senior guests were seated in the theater boxes, maintaining the event’s open-invitation character—a choice interpreted as a message about how he intended to engage politically going forward. One seat in the front row remained empty in memory of the recently deceased former SYRIZA Minister Alekos Flambouraris.
Current SYRIZA Chief Sokratis Famellos attended, along with members of the New Left splinter group, including President Alexis Haritsis and MP Effie Achtsioglou.
Related: Tsipras Comeback: A Double-Edged Sword for Mitsotakis and Greek Politics