Alexis Tsipras declares readiness to govern again and presents 25 billion euro plan

Bid to return to government

Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced that he is prepared to return to the premiership, speaking in an interview with Belgian newspaper Le Soir. Tsipras, who led the Greek government from 2015 to 2019, presented the platform of the Greek Left Coalition following its formal policy rollout at the Thessaloniki International Fair. His political platform centers on the slogan to produce more, distribute fairer, and live better. When asked whether he was prepared to lead Greece once more, Tsipras pointed directly to his past executive tenure.

Yes, I am ready. I know the job: I have already done it.

Critique of the post-2019 economy

Tsipras leveled detailed criticism at Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stating that the government has missed successive recovery opportunities since taking office in 2019. He argued that despite the post-bailout environment and the availability of European Union pandemic recovery funds, domestic income inequality has widened. While the government cites falling unemployment and gross domestic product growth, Tsipras stated that purchasing power remains 23% lower than in 2010. Furthermore, housing costs now consume 40% of average household income, while market concentration and cartels inflate supermarket prices to levels seen in Belgium and France. Tsipras noted that average workers must frequently work two jobs or twelve hours per day to meet basic living expenses.

Our wages are Bulgarian, our prices are Belgian and French, and our working conditions are Chinese.

Tsipras also pointed to wage convergence with neighboring Bulgaria as evidence of economic decline. According to Tsipras, the average Greek salary was 83% higher than the Bulgarian average when he left office in 2019, compared to a 17% premium in 2026. He stated that Greece currently ranks near the bottom of the European Union in gross domestic product per capita measured by purchasing power parity.

National Reconstruction Plan

To address these conditions, Tsipras outlined a National Reconstruction Plan built around a National Convergence Fund. The program proposes deploying a 25 billion euro investment fund over a four-year horizon. Alongside public investment, the economic platform introduces a 1% wealth tax targeting the richest 1% of the Greek population under a framework of social and economic patriotism. Tsipras cited ideas from United States lawmakers Ro Khanna and Bernie Sanders, alongside French economists Thomas Piketty and Gabriel Zucman, warning that unchecked wealth accumulation among a small minority will erode social cohesion.

European debt and rising extremism

At the European level, Tsipras advocated for common European borrowing mechanisms to finance large-scale investments beyond military and defense spending. He contrasted the joint fiscal response deployed during the pandemic with the austerity measures imposed on Greece during its debt crisis. Tsipras also addressed the political landscape across the continent, warning against far-right factions that adopt anti-establishment rhetoric before securing power. Referencing the prison release of former lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris, Tsipras stated that democratic forces must counter right-wing extremism through substantive economic and social policies.