Tsipras to present ELAS four-year economic program in Thessaloniki on 2 September

Announcement and timing

Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras will present the economic program of the Hellenic Left Alliance (ELAS) on Wednesday 2 September at an event in Thessaloniki. Tsipras announced the event in a social media post, describing it as the party's plan for "Fair Growth, productive reconstruction, the re-foundation of the social state." A press conference is scheduled for 9 September.

The choice of Thessaloniki carries political weight, as the city will be the focus of political attention ahead of the Thessaloniki International Fair (DETh). By presenting there, ELAS aims to open the economic debate not with piecemeal announcements but with a comprehensive National Plan on a four-year horizon.

Three pillars of 'Fair Growth'

The program is built around three axes: the productive reconstruction of the country, the re-foundation of the social state, and a new balance in the distribution of produced wealth. ELAS argues that redistribution alone is insufficient unless accompanied by an increase in the total wealth produced, shifting the focus from managing existing economic capacity to creating new capacity.

Fighting the cost of living

Tackling the high cost of living sits high on the party's economic agenda. The central question the program seeks to answer is how to contain the pressure households face from increased living costs while simultaneously strengthening their purchasing power. ELAS links the battle against inflation to the broader functioning of the economy, including production, incomes, taxation and the social state.

Taxation and social justice

In his social media post, Tsipras framed the plan's goals in stark terms.

“How we will fight the cost of living. How we will increase wealth and how we will distribute it with justice. With fewer taxes for the many and fairer taxes for the powerful. With care for the weak but also for future generations. A National Plan of economic and productive reconstruction with a four-year horizon.”

The political message centers on two questions: how to increase the country's wealth and how to distribute that wealth more justly. The program positions itself as addressing both immediate household pressures and the conditions for long-term economic growth, with a stated concern for both vulnerable groups and future generations.