From the restoration of democracy in 1974 to the 2012 elections, the characteristic Greek political system was predominantly a two-party system. The historically dominant parties were New Democracy and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). Under the electoral system, a party needs to surpass a 3% threshold in the popular vote in order to enter parliament. Until 2023, the largest party used to get a 50-seat bonus (out of 300 seats), ostensibly to ensure elections returned viable governing majorities. The 2023 Greek legislative election was the first and only that was held without the 50-seat bonus rule. Although New Democracy achieved a large percentage of 40.7% and beat the opposition party by 20%, they fell short of forming a majority by 5 seats. The Hellenic Republic had a caretaker prime minister until the June 2023 Greek parliamentary election was held.
History
1915–1967 This period was mainly ruled between the right-wing and the centre.
The major parties that emerged were the People’s Party and the Liberal Party. In 1926, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), which would later define the left for years, entered the parliament.
From 1950 to 1963, the predominant parties that won all elections in this period were the People’s Party (later Hellenic Rally) and the National Radical Union (ERE) (both from the right).
1974–2009 After the seven-year dictatorship ended, the former leader of ERE, Konstantinos Karamanlis, was called back from exile to form a new government and then created the New Democracy (ND) party. Monarchy was abolished in 1974, making the political parties the sole determinants of politics in Greece.
Further, 1974 saw the establishment of a new party, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) under Andreas Papandreou, representing a socialist ideology. For the decades to come, PASOK and New Democracy were the two parties that dominated Greek politics, creating a formidable two-party system, with the communist party KKE coming third.
The party system during this period was characterised by strong bureaucratic clientelism.
2009–present The 2008 financial crisis and the Greek government-debt crisis had an impact in reshaping the party system that had been stagnant for decades. Confidence in the traditional parties declined; this led to the end of the continuous two-party system and single-party governments. There was new movement towards the creation of coalitions and an increase in the number of parties entering parliament.
The party that rose through the crisis was the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA). It finished second on the crucial May 2012 legislative elections and later won the 2015 elections. It was the first party from the left wing in Greece's history to win an election.
A new split in the party system ideology (created during the economic crisis) which was evident in the 2012 elections was a pro- or anti-European stance. This resulted in an unprecedented coalition between the major traditional parties New Democracy and PASOK and the minor party DIMAR. Similarly, the coalition that was created after the 2015 elections between SYRIZA, a left-wing party, and ANEL, a populist right party, was based on their common views regarding Europe.
This period of turmoil also saw the rise of the controversial far-right party Golden Dawn. It became a third party in parliament after the 2015 elections.
In 2018, the past major party PASOK merged with other centrist parties and created the Movement of Change (KINAL) formation.
The elections in 2019 saw a return to a single party government with the continuously dominant New Democracy claiming the majority in parliament.
Parties represented in the current Parliament or European Parliament Party Abbr. Leader MPs(2023) MEPs(2024) Ideology Politicalposition Int'laffiliation Europeanaffiliation New Democracy Néa DimokratíaND ΝΔKyriakos Mitsotakispresidentto right-wing EPPPanhellenic Socialist Movement – Movement For ChangePanellinio Sosialistiko Kinima – Kínima AllagísPASOK–KINAL ΠΑΣΟΚ – ΚΙΝΑΛNikos AndroulakispresidentCentre-leftPESSinaspismós Rizospastikís AristerásSYRIZA ΣΥΡΙΖΑVacant Centre-leftto left-wingPELCommunist Party of GreeceKommounistikó Kómma ElládasKKEDimitris Koutsoumpasgeneral secretaryFar-leftIMCWPECA New LeftNéa AristeráNEAR ΝΕΑΡGabriel Sakellaridis president Democratic socialism PEL Greek Solution Ellinikí LýsiEL ΕΛKyriakos Velopoulospresident ECRDemocratic Patriotic Movement – VictoryDimokratikó Patriotikó Kínima – NíkiNIKI NIKHDimitris Natsioschairman Course of FreedomPlefsi EleftheriasPE ΠEZoe Konstantopouloupresident Anti-establishmentLeft-wing nationalismLeft-wing populism Voice of ReasonFoní LoyikísFL ΦΛAfroditi Latinopouloupresident Far-rightPatriotsDemocrats – Progressive Centre Dimokrates Proodeftiko Kentro Stefanos Kasselakispresident Pro-EuropeanismCentreEDPSpartans SpartiátesS ΣVasilis Stigkaspresident Far-rightNational Rally – Patriotic Radical Momentum of Victory Ethnikí Syspeírosi – Patriotikí Rizospastikí Ormí NíkisPARON ΠΑΡΟΝMichalis Gavgiotakispresident Far-rightGreek Pulse Ελληνικός ΠαλμόςEllinikos PalmosEP ΕΠNikos Papadopouloschairman Far-right
Minor parties Name Abbreviation Position Ideology Leader Nationalaffiliation Europeanaffiliation Agricultural Livestock Party of Greece AKKEL ΑΚΚΕΛ Centre AgrarianismAgrarian reform Vakis Tsiompanidis ANEL (2015) EPAM-AKKEL (2019) ESN Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow ANTARSYA ΑΝΤΑΡΣΥΑ Left-wing to far-left SocialismAnti-capitalism 21 member committee None None Assembly of Greeks ESY ΕΣΥ Far-right UltranationalismGreek nationalism Artemis Sorras None None Christian Democracy XDΧΔ Left-wing Christian socialismDemocratic socialism Giannis Zervos Political Initiative (since 2023) None Christian Democratic Party of the Overthrow XPIKAΧΡΙΚΑ Centre-right Christian democracyConservatism Nikos Nikolopoulos EPAL (2014) ANEL (2015) EK (2019)KELAN (2021) None Communist Organization of Greece KOE ΚΟΕ Far-left CommunismMaoism Left!–M-L KKE (2000)SYRIZA (2004-2015) None Communist Party of Greece (Marxist–Leninist) KKE(m–l) ΚΚΕ(μ-λ) Far-left Marxism–Leninism–MaoismAnti-revisionism Grigoris Konstantopoulos None Creation Right-wing NeoliberalismAnti-immigration vacant None ALDE Cynical Party of Greece-Diogenis KKE-D ΚΚΕ-Δ Big tent Political satire Unknown None None Democratic National Reform Union EDEM ΕΔΕΜ Centre Liberalism Apostolos Pontas PASOK-KINAL (since 2018) None Democratic Revival Δημοκρατική Αναγέννηση DIMAN ΔΗMAN Right-wing Social conservatismChristian democracy Theodoros Pantoulas Political Initiative (since 2023) None Democratic Social Movement DΙΚΚΙ ΔHKKI Left-wing Social democracySocialism Giorgos Boutris LAE-AA (2016–2019)Alliance of Subversion (2022–2023) None Democrats Dem Δημ Centre Social liberalismEconomic liberalism ND None Ecologist Greens OP ΟΠ Left-wing Green politics Konstantinos Ziavras, Alexandra Datseri OP–KPE (2014)SYRIZA (2015–2020) OP–Green Unity (since 2023) EGP, G-EFA Ecologists of Greece Right-wing Green conservatism Panagiotis Mantzanas None None European Realistic Disobedience Front 25 MeRA25ΜέΡΑ25 Left-wing Democratic socialismMarket socialism Gianis Varoufakis None DiEM25 Fighting Socialist Party of Greece ASKE ΑΣΚΕ Left-wing Democratic socialismLeft-wing nationalism None None Free Citizens Centre-left Social democracy Michalis Nikitakis None None Green Movement P.K . Π.Κ. Centre-left Green politics Elena Choreva, Kostas Kalogranis None Greens/EFA Greens-Ecology Centre-left Green politics Vaso Nakou, Kostas Papakonstantinou Kosmos (since 2024) Greens/EFA Hellenic Left Alignment EL.A.S. ΕΛ.Α.Σ. Centre-left to left-wing Alexis Tsipras None None Hope for Democracy Big Tent Anti-establishment Maria Karystianou None None I Don't Pay Movement Left-wing to Far-left SocialismAnti-capitalism Vasilis Papadopoulos LAE-AA (2015–2016) PE (2019–2023) None Kosmos Centre-left Green politicsPolitical ecology Petros S. Kokkalis None Greens/EFA Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Greece M-L KKE Μ-Λ ΚΚΕ Far-left Marxism–Leninism-MaoismAnti-revisionism Antonis Papadopoulos None Movement 21 Κ21 Far-right UltranationalismGreek nationalism Zois Mpechlis None None Movement of Democratic Socialists KIDISO ΚΙΔΗΣΟ Centre-left Social democracy George Papandreou PASOK-KINAL None National Front EM ΕΜ Far-right UltranationalismGreek nationalism Emmanouil Konstas None None National Independence Movement KEAN Far-right UltranationalismGreek nationalism Christos Tsiartas None NoneNational Party - Greeks GREEKS ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣFar-rightNational conservatism Anti-immigrationDimitris ChatziliadisNoneNone National Unity Association SEE ΣΕΕ Right-wing PatriotismNational conservatism Nikos Alikakos None None Organization for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece OAKKE ΟΑΚΚΕ Far-left Communism Elias Zafiropoulos None None Organisation of Internationalist Communists of Greece OKDE ΟΚΔΕ Far-left Communism Trotskyism committee ANTARSYA (2009) None Panathinaikos Movement PAN.KI.ΠΑN.KI. Centre Single-issue politics Ioannis AlevizosNoneNone Panhellenic Citizen Chariot PARPΠΑΡΠ Centre-left Social DemocracyPopulismEuroscepticism ANEL (2012–2014)EK (2019)KELAN (2021) None Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace KIEFΚΙΕΦDEBP Centre Turkish minority interests Tsigdem AsafoglouNoneNone Party of Greek Hunters-Fishermen KEKA ΚΕΚΑ Centre-right Hunter interestsConservatism Michalis Zougris None NonePatriots P - PE Π - ΠΕFar-rightNational conservatism Anti-immigrationProdromos Emfietzoglou NoneNone Pirate Party of Greece PPGR ΠΕΙΡ Centre-left to Left-wing Pirate politicsFreedom of informationDirect democracyAnti-corruptionSecularism Collective leadership (management board) OP–KPE (2014)Prasino+Mov (2022-2023) None Popular Greek Patriotic Union LE.P.EN. ΛΕ.Π.ΕΝ. Greek nationalismAnti-immigration Christos Rigas EP (2023) APF Popular Orthodox Rally LA.O.S ΛΑ.Ο.Σ Greek nationalismConservatism Filippos Kampouris None MELD Popular Unions of Bipartisan Social Groups L.E.F.K.O. Λ.Ε.Υ.Κ.Ο. Centre-right to Center-left Greek nationalismEuroscepticism Konstantinos Dalios ANEL (2015) None Popular Unity-Insubordinate Left LAE-AA ΛΑΕ-AA Left-wing to far-left Dimitris Stratoulis, Marianna Tsixli None None Rainbow Centre Slavic minority rights Collective leadershipNone EFA Revolutionary Communist Movement of Greece EKKEΕΚΚΕ Far left CommunismMaoism Committee ANTARSYA None Socialist Workers' Party SEKΣΕΚ Far-left CommunismSocialismTrotskyism Committee ANTARSYA None Society First H.K.PΗ.Κ.Π Left wing Democratic socialismSocialism Stefanos Katsaras SYRIZA None Society of Values Centre Liberalism The River (2019)KA–FISY None Smoking Groups for Art and Visual Art K.O.T.E.S.Κ.Ο.Τ.Ε.Σ. Single-issue Legalization of smoking Nikos Louvros SYRIZA (2019)KKE None Union of Centrists E.K. Ε.Κ. Centre VenizelismNational liberalism vacant None EDP Union of the Democratic Centre E.ΔΗ.K. E.DH.K. Centre VenizelismLiberalism Stavros Karampelas DIKKI (2000)DA (2009)SYRIZA (2012-2015) NoneUnited Popular Front EPAMΕΠΑΜ Big tent PatriotismGreek nationalism Dimitris Kazakis Nο (2012)KELAN (2021)Alliance of Subversion (2022–2023) NoneVolt Greece VOLTΒΟΛΤCentreSocial liberalismProgressivismEvangelos Liaras, Electra Rome DochtsiPrasino+Mov (2022–2023)Kosmos (2024)Volt Workers Revolutionary Party EEK ΕΕΚ Far-left CommunismTrotskyism Savas Matsas None None
Defunct parties
Parties during the reign of King Otto (1833–1862) English Party () (liberal, pro-English) (1824–1863) French Party () (liberal, pro-French) (1824–1863) Russian Party () (conservative, pro-Russian) (1825–1863) Party of Radicals () (radical, pro-union) (1848–1864) in the United States of the Ionian Islands
Parties during the reign of King George I (1863–1913) Liberal Party () (Liberal) (1910–1961) National Party (, K.E.) – Komma Ethnikofronon, KE (conservative, nationalist) (1865–1909) Modernist Party (, Ν.Κ.) – Neoteristikon Komma, ΝΚ (Liberal, Liberal Nationalist) (1875–1910)