In a contribution to the Turning Points edition by Euro2day.gr and The New York Times, former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras issues a stark warning about the global advance of the far right and the historic responsibility of progressive forces to resist it.
He argues that the political equilibrium that once defined Western democracies—between left/center-left and right/center-right—is unraveling, opening space for the normalization of power politics, elite influence, and authoritarian narratives.
Tsipras cautions that if democracies begin to accept the dominance of the strong in international relations, they risk legitimizing the same principle at home. This, he says, would embolden far-right actors and oligarchic politics, drawing a sharp comparison to the alliance between figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
He urges the European Union to make it clear to the United States that transatlantic cooperation must rest on mutual respect and non-intervention in domestic affairs.
This resistance, he insists, also means acknowledging past mistakes and recommitting to diplomacy and international law. “The struggle for international law is above all a struggle for peace,” Tsipras writes, noting that postwar European democracy was built on such principles. He criticizes the fact that, today, peace advocacy is increasingly associated with far-right forces, calling this both unacceptable and dangerous.
He argues that the EU must play a leading role in securing peace in Ukraine and developing a new security architecture that includes, rather than excludes, Russia—no matter how complex that may be.
Drawing on historical precedent, he points to Greece and Cyprus's willingness to engage in talks with Turkey just two years after its invasion of Cyprus. Similarly, he advocates for an end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, grounded in UN resolutions.
Tsipras also calls for renewed European integration based on social investment and cohesion, not just defense. He advocates for a humane migration policy and warns against the superficiality of identity politics disconnected from broader social goals. Finally, he urges progressive movements on both sides of the Atlantic to work together, reminding readers that cooperation was key in past battles against war, austerity, and neoliberalism.
“The breakdown between ‘center’ and ‘extremes’ has only helped normalize the far right,” Tsipras concludes. “It’s time to rebuild democratic balance before it’s too late.”
