The ex Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras participated in the delegation of the Greek Parliament in Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

He also attended its meeting Group of the Leftwhere it was decided to postpone the election of a new president for the beginning of next year with a transitional presidency taking over until January.

This decision was taken after Alexis Tsipras informed the president of the Parliamentary Assembly and the rest of the group that he does not intend to assume the presidency of the Group for the time being given the increased obligations it entails.

However, according to reliable information, what led him to this decision is his desire in the next period to have the freedom to give messages through CoE as well, without the limitations entailed by representing the Group.

Alexis Tsipras is seriously troubled by the political crisis that concerns both the European Left and more broadly the progressive forces, a crisis that goes hand in hand with the rise of the Far Right. In these circumstances, while as prime minister and as a political leader in Europe his springboard was always his left-wing identity, he functioned and wants to function today as a unifying force in the broader left, but also as a “bridge” between the left, the socialists and the green ones.

With this broader unifying criterion, he also faces the honorable offer to take over as president of the left-wing group at the Council of Europe. This criterion will also determine his steps in the coming period.

For the time being, he decided to focus on active participation in the work of the CoE as a simple member of the Left group. Intervening, of course, in the plenary session and in the committees on issues that he considers critical, such as those concerning social and individual rights, peace, justice and the future of Europe. In this context, he will intervene in the coming days on the rise of the far right, as well as on the abuse of state surveillance systems in Europe.