The First Shadow Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras was formed on 3 July 2012, following the June 2012 Greek legislative election. It consisted of only Syriza MPs, as they were the largest party to refuse to participate in the ND-PASOK-DIMAR coalition. The Shadow Cabinet was dissolved following the January 2015 Greek legislative election, and was replaced by a New Democracy shadow cabinet led by Antonis Samaras. Tsipras subsequently formed his First Cabinet on 27 January 2015, consisting of a coalition of both Syriza and the Independent Greeks.
The Shadow Cabinet was formed on 3 July 2012, with the final composition being settled at a meeting of the Syriza parliamentary group at 11am on that day. The Shadow Cabinet acted in opposition to the Cabinet of Antonis Samaras. Whilst in opposition, in December 2014, Syriza adopted the Thessaloniki Programme, an economic manifesto.
The Shadow Cabinet would have officially remained in position until the 27 January 2015, when Alexis Tsipras named his new Cabinet. A number of members from the Shadow Cabinet took up roles in the new Cabinet.
The role of shadow ministers was to oversee the work being carried out by the government ministers and to offer alternative proposals. Syriza spokesman Dimitrios Papadimoulis said: "Syriza will be exercising hands-on, combative and responsible opposition, with strict oversight and also with its own proposals. It will be an opposition worthy of the 27 percent of the vote that put us in Parliament."
References:[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]