Socialist Workers' Party (Greece)

Socialist Workers Party (Greece)
Σοσιαλιστικό Εργατικό Κόμμα
Founded1971 (as OSE); 1997 (as SEK)
NewspaperWorkers' Solidarity,Socialism from Below
IdeologyTrotskyismRevolutionary socialism
National affiliationAnticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow
European affiliationEuropean Anti-Capitalist Left
International affiliationInternational Socialist Tendency
Party flag
Website
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 junta. In the beginning, they organised themselves as the Socialist Revolution Organisation (OSE; Οργάνωση Σοσιαλιστικής Επανάστασης, ΟΣΕ). 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). A distinct presence is maintained by SEK students, who sign as SEK on Campus (ΣΕΚ στις Σχολές).

The SEK is active in a number of organisations, including the Greek "Stop the War Coalition" (Συμμαχία Σταματήστε τον Πόλεμο) and "United Against Racism and the Threat of Fascism" (Κίνηση Ενωμένοι Ενάντια στο Ρατσισμό και τη Φασιστική Απειλή, ΚΕΕΡΦΑ).

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 Gaza war.[1]

Electoral results and tactics

Results since 1996(year links to election page)
Year Coalition Type of Election Votes % Seats
1999None European Parliament 8,049 0.13
2000Parliament proposed vote to Synaspismos, KKE, DIKKI
2004Anti-Capitalist Coalition Parliament 8,313 0.10
2004Anti-Capitalist Coalition European Parliament 11,938 0.19 0
2007United Anti-Capitalist LeftParliament 10,595 0.15 0
2009Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the OverthrowParliament 24,735 0.36 0
2012Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the OverthrowParliament 75,439 1.19 0
2012Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the OverthrowParliament 20.389 0,33 0

References

  1. ^"ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΑΛΑΙΣΤΙΝΗ". sekonline.gr (in Greek). 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.