Drachmi Greek Democratic Movement Five Stars

Drachmi Greek Democratic Movement Five Stars
ΔΡΑΧΜΗ Ελληνική Δημοκρατικό Κίνημα Πέντε Αστέρια
Founded 1 May 2014
Ideology
Colours
  • Orange
  • Blue
Website
www.drachmi5.gr
Politics of Greece
Political parties
Elections

Drachmi Greek Democratic Movement Five Stars (abbreviated as: Drachma Five Star) is a Greek eurosceptic political party established on May 1, 2013 by Theodore Katsanevas, former member of PASOK and son-in-law of Andreas Papandreou, with a primary target for Greece to abandon the Euro and to return to the drachma.[1][2]

Purpose

The purpose of the party is for Greece to abandon the Euro in favour of the drachma. The five stars symbolise "the overturn of the Memorandum, the return to the drachma, robust growth, national dignity and social justice",[2] but they also clearly state a connection to the Italian party Five Star Movement of the comic actor Beppe Grillo[2][3] and the Italian press refer to Theodoros Katsanevas as "the Greek Beppe Grillo".[4] The party states that it supports "patriotic socialism".[5]

Collaborations

On 15 July 2013, Nikitas Baritakis, former Secretary of the Communications Sector Commission withdrew from PASOK and became member of the party Drachma Five Star[6] while earlier that month there had been a meeting of the Drachma 5 stars with the Patriotic Social Movement where they found identification of several positions.[7] In September 2013, Dr. Bernd Lucke, leader of the Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland /AfD) party, said that they will gradually make alliances with like-minded parties, like the party of Mr. Katsanevas<.[8] in a meeting of the two eurosceptic parties which took place in Germany.[9]

Reaction of the international press

The creation of the party was recorded in the Italian press,[4] the Turkish press[10] as well as in Brussels[11] giving importance for the spread of the Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo to countries outside Italy, but also its anti-memorandum character. In American press attention is also given to the strengthening of anti-Euro feelings in Greece, noting that the Drachma Five Star party not only opposes the memorandum, but also the exit of Greece from eurozone, noting that the same position is held by party Plan B, founded by Alekos Alavanos, former member of SYRIZA, as well as by the Cypriot party AKEL.[12] Elsewhere, importance is brought to the convergence of populist and anti-European leftist parties like Drachma 5 Star and Plan B, as well as of right-wing parties such as Golden Dawn and the "inclusive right wing platform", Independent Greeks both in Greece,[13] as well as among Southern Europe countries.[14] Attention has been also given to the proposals of the party for a unified currency in south European countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus).[9][15]

References

  1. ↑ Γκρίλο α λα ελληνικά (Grillo a la Grec), 09.05.2013, I Avgi
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Δραχμή 5 αστέρων": Το νέο κόμμα του Κατσανέβα (Drachma 5 Star, the new party of Katsanevas, news247.gr, 8/5/2013
  3. ↑ Το κόμμα «Δραχμή Πέντε Αστέρων» ίδρυσε ο Θεόδωρος Κατσανέβας (Theodoros Katsanevas founded the party "Drachma Five Star"), Ta Nea, 08/05/2013
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 «Ο Έλληνας Μπέπε Γκρίλο»: Ο Θ. Κατσανέβας στην ιταλική Huffington Post (the Greek Beppe Grillo: Th. Katstanevas in the Italian Huffington Post), 22/05/2013, Proto Thema, protothema.gr
  5. ↑ Νέο κόμμα η «Δραχμή 5 Αστέρων» (New Party, the "Drachma Five Star"), newspaper Eleftherotypia, enet.gr, 8 May 2013
  6. ↑ Η αποχώρηση από το ΠΑΣΟΚ, ξεκίνημα για νέα συστράτευση (Secession from PASOK, a beginning for a new elisting), drachmi5.gr, official site
  7. ↑ Συνάντηση στελεχών «Δραχμή- Ελληνική Δημοκρατική Κίνηση Πέντε Αστέρων» και «Πατριωτικό Κοινωνικό Κίνημα» για κοινές δράσεις (Meeting of executives from Drachma Five Star and Patriotic Social Movement for common actions), dramini.gr, 2 July 2013
  8. ↑ Η «Εναλλακτική για τη Γερμανία» ρίχνει το ευρώ στην πυρά (Alternative for Germany throws Euro to the fire), 17-09-13, The Kathimerini newspaper, Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ «θα κάνουμε σταδιακά συμμαχίες με άλλους ομοϊδεάτες μας στην Ευρώπη, όπως με το κόμμα που ίδρυσε ο κ. Κατσανέβας στην Ελλάδα (σ.σ. Δραχμή, Ελληνική Δημοκρατική Κίνηση Πέντε Αστέρων) και μαζί θα πορευτούμε» "we will gradually make alliances with other like-minded us in Europe, such as the party founded by Mr Katsanevas in Greece (ed Drachma, Greek Democratic Movement Five Star) and together we will move forward "
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 I 5 stelle greci incontrano i no euro tedeschi. ‘Un network tra Lisbona e Atene’, Il Fatto Quotidiano, 22/8/2013
  10. ↑ Five Star Movement began to Greek, habermonitor.com, 10/5/2013
  11. ↑ Greek version of anti-euro 5-Star Movement is founded, ANSAmed, 9/5/2013
  12. ↑ New Greek Party Formed Call for Return to Drachma, Sovereignty, Executive Intelligence Review (EIP), 17/5/2013
  13. ↑ Greek modern populism in its European context, openDemocracy.net, 4/11/2013, "there is a remarkable coincidence of views between the left and right tendencies"..."Anti-European left parties such as Theodoros Katsanevas’ "Drachma" and Alekos Alavanos "Plan B" have already been launched and together with the neo-Nazi ‘Golden Dawn’, all record rising percentages in recent polls. A new, inclusive right wing platform, ‘Independent Greeks’, is attempting to collect votes from all poles of the political spectrum purely by using the attractions of such populist policies"
  14. ↑ Parteien in EuropaDeutschland verschläft den Populismus, Wirtschafts Woche, 18.07.2013
  15. ↑ Così gli euroscettici conquistano l'Europa A Berlino si preparano a entrare in Parlamento. Come i colleghi greci, olandesi e inglesi, IL GIORNALE, 20/9/2013

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