Drasi

Drasi
Δράση
Leader Theodoros Skylakakis
General Secretary Melina Daskalakis
Spokesperson Panagiotis Michalopoulos
Founder Stefanos Manos
Slogan Citizens, not clients
Founded 2009
Headquarters 98Α, Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, 11528, Athens
Ideology Liberalism[1]
Classical liberalism
Political position Centre
European affiliation Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
European Parliament group No MEPs
Parliament
0 / 300
European Parliament
0 / 22
Regions [2]
0 / 725
Website
www.drassi.gr
Politics of Greece
Political parties
Elections

Drasi (Greek: Δράση; English: Action) is a liberal[3][4] minor political party in Greece founded in 2009 by Stefanos Manos and led by former New Democracy member Theodoros Skylakakis. The party has no representation in the Hellenic Parliament or European Parliament. Drasi is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party.[5]

History

Stefanos Manos left New Democracy (ND) in 1999 to found The Liberals, before later running on ND and Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) electoral lists in 2000 and 2004 respectively. Unlike The Liberals, Drasi was not founded as an expressly liberal party, but claims to espouse "common sense" as an ideological basis.[6]

In its first contested election, the 2009 European elections, Drasi finished ninth with 0.8% of the vote. It subsequently did not participate in the general election in October 2009.

In the May 2012 legislative election, Drasi ran in electoral alliance with the Liberal Alliance. It won 1.8% of the vote finishing twelfth overall, directly behind the Democratic Alliance and Recreate Greece, which both had similar liberal ideologies to Drasi. Ahead of new elections in June 2012 legislative election, Drasi and the Liberal Alliance formed an electoral pact with Recreate Greece,[7] while the Democratic Alliance, which they had also approached,[8] refused to join them and ran on the New Democracy list instead.[9]

In the 2014 European elections, Drasi ran in electoral alliance with Recreate Greece.[10]

On 5 January 2015, Drasi's leader Skylakakis and the leader of The River party, Stavros Theodorakis, gave a joint press conference announcing an electoral alliance to contest the upcoming 2015 legislative election, in which Drasi candidates will run on The River's electoral lists while remaining as separate parties.[11][12]

Ideology

Drasi is in favor of a small and flexible government through the decrease of the portion of Greek government expenses the party considers unnecessary.[13] Moreover, the party supports privatizations of public assets, using the proceeds for the repayment of undervalued Greek debt in secondary capital markets.[13]

Drasi has been described by the media as a "pro-business-party"[14][15] supporting free-market reforms.

Electoral results

Results
2009 European Parliament 38,895 0.76% 0
May 2012 Hellenic Parliament 75.428 1.80%* 0
June 2012 Hellenic Parliament 98,050 1.59%** 0
2014 European Parliament 51,749 0.91%*** 0

* In alliance with Liberal Alliance
** In alliance with Recreate Greece and Liberal Alliance
*** In alliance with Recreate Greece

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Leader of liberal Drasi sees ND and PASOK disappearing", Ekathimerini, 10 May 2012
  2. ↑ The counselors of the Regions.
  3. ↑ Claudia Wiesner; Meike Schmidt-Gleim (3 January 2014). The Meanings of Europe: Changes and Exchanges of a Contested Concept. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-134-45852-3.
  4. ↑ Takis S. Pappas (16 July 2014). Populism and Crisis Politics in Greece. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-137-41058-0.
  5. ↑ http://www.aldeparty.eu/en/members/political-parties
  6. ↑ "Δράση. Περιβάλλον Παιδεία Πολιτισμός - ΚΟΙΝΗ ΛΟΓΙΚΗ". Drassi.gr. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Parties forge alliances ahead of June vote". Kathimerini. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Leader of liberal Drasi sees ND and PASOK disappearing". Kathimerini. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "Bakoyannis returns to ND fold". Kathimerini. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  10. ↑ "Συνεργασία της Δημιουργίας Ξανά με τη Δράση στις ευρωεκλογές". in.gr. 2014-04-22. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
  11. ↑ "Drasi leader urges party members to stand with Potami". Kathimerini. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
  12. ↑ "Liberal Drasi party joins forces with To Potami in upcoming general elections". 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Δράση. Περιβάλλον Παιδεία Πολιτισμός - Οικονομία". Drassi.gr. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "There are all too many alternatives". The Economist. 2012-05-12. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
  15. ↑ "Greek Politicians Debate Election Disaster: 'If We Leave the Euro, Everything Will Be Worse'". Spiegel online. 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2015-01-07.

External links