Socialist Workers' Party (Greece) Explained

Country:Greece
Socialist Workers Party (Greece)
Native Name:Σοσιαλιστικό Εργατικό Κόμμα
Ideology:Neo-Trotskyism
Revolutionary socialism
Flag:Sek-simaia-02-02.jpg
Founded:as OSE in 1971
International:International Socialist Tendency
European:European Anti-Capitalist Left
National:Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow
Newspaper:Workers Solidarity,
Socialism from Below
Website:http://www.sekonline.gr/

The Socialist Workers Party in Greece (Greek: Σοσιαλιστικό Εργατικό Κόμμα, ΣΕΚ; translit. Sosialistikó Ergatikó Kómma, SEK) is an affiliate of the International Socialist Tendency (IST). It is the second largest organisation in IST after the British Socialist Workers Party.

History

SEK originated among a group of exiled Greek students in London, led by Maria Styllou and Panos Garganas, and a group of Greek students during the occupations of universities against the Greek dictatorship. In the beginning they organised themselves as the Socialist Revolution Organisation (OSE). While in London they developed relations with the International Socialists led by Tony Cliff and were won to the politics of the IST.

In the early 1980s, the OSE developed closer links with the IST, grew fairly rapidly and in 1997 changed their name to the Socialist Workers Party. In 2001 a minority left to form the Internationalist Workers Left (DEA) organisation. SEK publishes a weekly newspaper, Workers Solidarity (Εργατική Αλληλεγγύη), and a bi-monthly magazine, Socialism from Below (Σοσιαλισμός από τα Κάτω).

The SEK is active in a number of organisations, including the Greek "Stop the War Coalition", "United Against Racism and the threat of Fascism".

In the 2006 Greek local elections for Athens-Piraeus Super Prefecture, the SEK supported candidates under the banner "Συμμαχία για την Υπερνομαρχία" (Symmachia gia tin Ypernomarchia = Union for the Super Prefecture) which took 1.32%.

In October 2023, SEK released a statement declaring their support for Palestine in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[1]

Electoral results and tactics

Results since 1996
(year links to election page)
YearCoalitionType of ElectionVotes%Seats
1999NoneEuropean Parliament8,0490.13
2000Parliamentproposed vote to Synaspismos, KKE, DIKKI
2004Anti-Capitalist CoalitionParliament8,3130.10
2004Anti-Capitalist CoalitionEuropean Parliament11,9380.190
2007United Anti-Capitalist LeftParliament10,5950.150
2009Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the OverthrowParliament24,7350.360
2012Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the OverthrowParliament75,4391.190
2012Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the OverthrowParliament20.3890,330

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΑΛΑΙΣΤΙΝΗ . 2023-10-07 . sekonline.gr. 7 October 2023 . https://archive.today/20231008101523/https://www.sekonline.gr/article.php?id=1504. 2023-10-08. el.