It was relatively quiet for a long time around the former, busy Viennese deputy mayor Maria Vassilakou (Greens). But now she’s back on the political stage – and setting her sights on the EU elections with a newly formed party. But Vassilakou will not run for office herself, as she emphasizes.
According to the co-founders, the party, which was newly founded in February, is a democratically oriented party. It is strictly against right-wing populism and wants to be a member of the European ‘green family’.
“We will not be a protest party”
The party’s basic principles were presented at a press conference in February by Green MEP Petros Kokkalis and its two co-founders, Maria Vassilakou and Lefteris Papagiannakis. The party wants to participate in European, local and national elections and strives for a ‘green social contract’ with Greek citizens. This should focus on tackling climate change with social justice “so that no one is left behind”.
Petros Kokkalis and Maria Vassilakou in an Instagram photo:
“We will not be a party of protest,” Kokkalis emphasized. He pointed out the need to unify the ecological space and focus on the urgency of climate action: “We can no longer be a green sign, but we can form a green pole because the climate crisis is a real event.”
Voters looking for alternatives
According to a recent survey by opinion research institute Opinion Poll, 49 percent of respondents in Greece said they are very likely to vote for a different party in the upcoming European elections than in last year’s parliamentary elections. 45.5 percent consider this unlikely or not at all likely. Domestic politics (36.9 percent), the parties’ political positions (28.2 percent) and European issues (16.9 percent) are likely to influence the voting decision in the European elections in June.
This encourages the “Kosmos” members. Almost two months before the European elections, the green political wing seems to be gaining ground, now that the Green Ecology party is joining forces with Kosmos and its electoral list led by Green MEP Kokkalis. Vassiliki Grammogianni, candidate for the European Parliament and co-chair of the Greens-Ecology movement, will co-lead the campaign, and a total of eight members of Greens-Ecology will participate in the Kosmos election.
“Green Alliance in Greece”
“This is a crucial step that lays the foundation for a strong green alliance in Greece. “Both parties have a common denominator in terms of policies for social and climate justice, combating economic inequality, but also addressing environmental issues such as the climate crisis and its impact on society, the economy, biodiversity and natural resources,” said Elias Papatheodorou. press secretary of “Cosmos”.
Those now on the party’s electoral list will work for climate justice and strengthening the green vote in Greece and Europe, with the country’s fair green transition and tackling social inequalities high on their political agenda.
The research results still need improvement
However, in the studies available so far, “Kosmos” does not provide relevant percentages. However, it is still too early to make a final judgment and the messages about the environment and the climate crisis could be an important factor in attracting voters. Under certain circumstances, ‘Kosmos’ could be a surprise in the upcoming European elections.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
