Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is calling out his successor for what he describes as an unconditional embrac...

Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is calling out his successor for what he describes as an unconditional embrace of Donald Trump, and he's making it a central plank of his campaign ahead of Greece's next general election. In an interview with Politico, the 51-year-old Tsipras said Mitsotakis has handed the U.S. open-ended access to key military bases across Greece, including the major naval base on Crete, without the standard cycle of renegotiation. He argued this policy of "blank checks" does not serve Greek national interests, and that the priority for those bases should be Greece's own security first. Tsipras drew a direct comparison to Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who blocked U.S. forces from using Spanish bases. He said the contrast between Mitsotakis and Sanchez became especially visible during the recent Iran conflict, when the two leaders responded very differently to Washington's demands. Only 22 percent of Greeks surveyed by Pew Research in late June said they had confidence in Trump's handling of international affairs, a number Tsipras is clearly trying to capitalize on politically. Tsipras launched a new party called Elas in May, aiming to consolidate a fragmented opposition against Mitsotakis and New Democracy. According to Politico's Poll of Polls, New Democracy sits at 30 percent while Elas trails at 17 percent, making Tsipras the second political force in the country but still well behind. He cited polls showing 70 percent of Greeks want political change, and that around 55 percent say they were better off in 2019 than they are now. Annual inflation in Greece hit 5.2 percent in May 2026, above the eurozone average of 3.2 percent. Tsipras also pointed to corruption as a core issue, framing it as a hidden tax on Greek households that diverts public money away from schools, hospitals, and teachers' salaries. An election is expected before Greece assumes the rotating EU Council presidency in July 2027. #Greece #GreekPolitics #Mitsotakis