Thanasis Avguerinos, the spokesperson for the new Greek party "Elpida gia ti Dimokratia" (Hope for Democracy), flatly de...

Thanasis Avguerinos, the spokesperson for the new Greek party "Elpida gia ti Dimokratia" (Hope for Democracy), flatly denied claims that the party has ties to Russia, calling the allegations a joke that emerged solely because of his own personal background and involvement in the movement. Speaking on SKAI TV, Avguerinos said the party maintains no special relationship with any major power, and that its founding declaration explicitly commits to an independent foreign policy. He pushed back on the framing by noting that the party includes diaspora Greeks from the US, European countries, and Australia, not just Russia, and questioned why journalists focus only on the Russian-origin members. The party was formed as an outgrowth of the mass civic movement that followed the Tempi train disaster. Avguerinos described it as a citizens' movement demanding truth, justice, and a genuinely democratic state, led by people from across the political spectrum, left, right, and center. Avguerinos also went after the Greek government over its performance at the recent NATO Summit, saying Greece arrived as a bystander, stuck in the corner of the group photo, with the prime minister only daring to raise national issues outside the formal sessions rather than inside them. On party finances, he acknowledged limited resources, saying anyone who visits their still-under-renovation headquarters can see they lack the funds of a major party machine. He contrasted this with what he called the unexplained bank debt arrangements that Greece's two main governing parties have benefited from over the years. He rejected the label of "anti-system" party, arguing the movement represents the most stable force in Greek society precisely because it targets the core failure of Greek democracy. He also dismissed recent reports of member departures as overblown, noting that a retired air force general cited in reports had never formally joined the party. #Greece #GreekPolitics #Dimokratia