Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras used his first television interview since launching the Greek Left Alliance, known by its Greek acronym ELAS, to set out his political intentions, outline the early shape of his campaign platform and send a clear message to both former allies and potential voters.

Speaking on Alpha TV, Tsipras presented his roadmap for the next national elections, stressing that his ambition is not simply to make ELAS the main opposition party, but to challenge New Democracy for power.

“I did not return to active politics to rack up the numbers,” he said, adding that his aim is to turn ELAS into a governing force of the Left rather than a protest party. “My goal is not to be leader of the official opposition. My goal is to govern,” he said.

The second election as a turning point

According to well-informed sources, Tsipras will seek to form a coalition government after the first round of elections if the numbers allow it. If that proves impossible, he is expected to push for a “clear solution” in a second ballot.

This prospect is politically significant, as the gap between ruling New Democracy and ELAS has narrowed to single digits in some opinion polls, creating a different electoral landscape from the one Greece has seen in recent years.

“My goal is not to be leader of the official opposition,” Tsipras said. “My goal is to be of service to the country and society from today. To present an alternative governing proposal against New Democracy, one that can legitimately claim first place and govern the country.”

Addressing his former comrades on the Left, Tsipras also made clear that he is not attempting to recreate the old SYRIZA project. “That historical chapter has closed,” he said, presenting the Greek Left Alliance as a new political beginning, based on familiar values but adapted to today’s political and social conditions.

Middle-class voters and wealth creation

Against this backdrop, Tsipras is convening his party’s “shadow cabinet” today at noon. The meeting will bring together the new policy chiefs of the Greek Left Alliance for what party sources describe as an “informal cabinet meeting”.

The former prime minister is expected to give them political guidelines and set out his priorities ahead of the summer, as ELAS prepares for a more intensive pre-election phase.

The composition of the party’s policy team is also being read as a message. Many of the department heads come from the middle class, including businesspeople, academics, freelancers and public administration officials. This is seen as part of Tsipras’s effort to broaden the party’s appeal beyond its traditional left-wing base.

It also comes before the presentation of his economic programme at this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair, where he is expected to speak not only about redistribution, but also about “wealth creation” – a phrase he used publicly for the first time in this new political phase.

Summer campaign push

Despite the summer heat, ELAS officials are expected to carry out tours and workplace visits over the coming weeks, placing the party machinery on full alert.

Today’s meeting of the policy chiefs will be followed tomorrow by a meeting of the party’s National Council and Political Committee, marking the start of a more organised campaign rhythm.

The National Council meeting will open with a speech by Tsipras, followed by remarks from party secretary Miltos Hatzigiannakis and interventions by senior party officials. It will be the first major internal party event for the Greek Left Alliance and is expected to serve as a launchpad for wider pre-election mobilisation.

Message to former SYRIZA allies

Tsipras’s moves have already triggered reactions inside SYRIZA, whose Political Secretariat met for several hours yesterday.

Responding to criticism from former allies, Tsipras said: “I am not throwing a party at my house so that I can invite whoever I want. We are making a new political effort and a fresh start. We are making this new beginning within society, with society and for society.”

He added that, from the outset and even before the party’s founding act, he had made clear that the new project would not exclude anyone, but would operate under specific conditions.

“The first condition is that this effort will not originate inside Parliament,” he said. “If they wish to resign from Parliament, they are of course welcome to do so.”

“The second condition is that we have not reserved positions for anyone. Once our collective bodies are formed and meet to decide who will be parliamentary candidates, there will be equal treatment for all members. We are not excluding anyone, but we do not have reserved seats for anyone either,” Tsipras concluded.