Editing Synaspismos (section)

==History==
===Coalition, late 1980s–1991===
[[File:Συναπισμός της Αριστεράς και της Προόδου.svg|thumb|left|upright|Logo of the Coalition of the Left and Progress]]
As its name reveals, Synaspismos emerged initially as an electoral coalition at the late 1980s, with the pro-[[USSR|Soviet]] [[Communist Party of Greece]] (KKE) and the [[Greek Left]], one of the successors of the [[eurocommunist]] [[Communist Party of Greece (Interior)|KKE Interior]], as its largest constituents. The [[Party of Democratic Socialism (Greece)|Party of Democratic Socialism]], a splinter from the [[Union of the Democratic Centre (Greece)|Union of the Democratic Centre]] which occupied a similar position to [[Panhellenic Socialist Movement|PASOK]], was the largest non-[[Communist]] member party.

The [[dissolution of the USSR]] brought the Left into disunion, and the traditional [[Stalinist]] majority within KKE purged all non-hardliners from the party—almost 45% of the Central Committee members, including ex-general secretary [[Grigoris Farakos]], and majorities in many Local Committees (called by the KKE majority as "revisionists" and by the press as the "renewers"). At this time KKE also left the coalition.

===Party, 1991–2013===
After that, the other parties of the coalition and the renewing part of KKE decided to convert the alliance into a political party (1991).

Although the 'experiment' seemed to have great potential, serious ideological conflicts were afflicting the new party. At the [[1993 Greek legislative election|legislative elections of 1993]], SYN failed by 2,000 votes to pass the limit of 3% and enter the National Parliament. But next year, Synaspismos got its highest national 'score' ever (6.26%) in the [[1994 European Parliament election in Greece|1994 European Parliament elections]]. Two years later, with 5.12%, got its highest score in [[1996 Greek legislative election|1996 legislative elections]].

[[Image:Alekos Alavanos speech 2007.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Former Synaspismos leader Alekos Alavanos giving a speech at a SYRIZA rally in Athens]]
In the [[2000 Greek legislative election|legislative elections of 2000]], SYN was supported by the small [[Renewing Communist Ecological Left]] (AKOA) party and a small group of ecologists. After the elections a few members of the National Committee, who were asking for approximation with the social democrats, left the party accusing the majority of neo-communist turn and created the short-lived party AEKA. AEKA was first split and little later disbanded in some months, when the head of the party became an Undersecretary in the [[Panhellenic Socialist Movement|socialdemocratic]] administration of [[Kostas Simitis]].

In the [[2004 Greek legislative election|legislative elections of 2004]], Synaspismos, together with several smaller parties (AKOA, [[Movement for the United in Action Left]] (KEDA), [[Internationalist Workers Left]] (DEA, Active Citizens)), formed an alliance called [[Coalition of the Radical Left]] (SYRIZA), but contested the [[2004 European Parliament election in Greece|Euro-elections of the same year]] on its own, because of ideological disagreements within the party. The alliance with the smaller parties was formed again at the end of 2005, when chairman [[Alekos Alavanos]] proposed the 30-year-old [[Alexis Tsipras]] as candidate mayor of Athens for the Municipal Election of 2006, proclaiming the party's "overture to a younger generation". The Tsipras candidacy was received well, especially so by younger voters, and formed the party's springboard for its good [[2007 Greek legislative election|2007 parliamentary elections]] showing.

On 10 February 2008 [[Alexis Tsipras]] was elected party president, replacing Alavanos, who stepped down citing private reasons. At that time Tsipras did not hold a parliamentary seat, so Alavanos remained leader of the parliamentary group. After the [[2009 Greek legislative election|legislative elections in 2009]], Tsipras entered Parliament and became leader of the SYRIZA parliamentary group.

The 6th Congress of Synaspismos took place in June 2010.<ref>[https://www.in.gr/2010/03/28/greece/apo-tis-3-mexri-tis-6-ioynioy-to-6o-synedrio-toy-synaspismoy The 6th Synaspismos Congress is taking place between the 3rd and 6th of June]</ref> The "renewing wing" led by [[Fotis Kouvelis]], in disagreement with the party's participation in [[SYRIZA]], left the party and founding [[Democratic Left (Greece)|Democratic Left]].<ref>[http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=32&artId=336317&dt=09/06/2010 Divorce within Synaspismos]</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120723112735/http://www.avgi.gr/ArticleActionshow.action?articleID=552705 Democratic Left's founding declaration]</ref> Fotis Kouvelis was followed by three more MPs, that left the party caucus.<ref>[https://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/288510/aneksartitoi-oi-4-tis-ananeotikis-pterugas-tou-syn The "4" of the "renewing wing" have gone Independent.]</ref>

Both in the [[May 2012 Greek Legislative election]] and in the [[June 2012 Greek Legislative election]], [[SYRIZA]] came second, electing 52 and 71 MPs, accordingly, of which 45 and 55 were part of Synaspismos.

In July 2013, right before the first Congress of [[SYRIZA]], the final congress of Synaspismos took place, that overwhelmingly voted to disestablish Synaspismos and to merge with [[SYRIZA]].<ref>[https://www.in.gr/2013/07/10/greece/anoigoyme-mia-nea-selida-eipe-o-al-tsipras-sto-synedrio-toy-syn/ "We're turning the page" said A. Tsipras in the SYN Congress]</ref><ref>[http://www.kathimerini.gr/46078/article/epikairothta/politikh/yperyhfisthke-h-aytodialysh-toy-syn SYN's autodisestablishment has been approved]</ref><ref>[http://www.skai.gr/news/politics/article/237344/apofasistike-i-autodialusi-tou-sunaspismou/ Synaspismos' disestablishment has been decided]</ref>