#DEMOCRACY

In a stark warning from the heart of Athens, former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared that Greek democracy is at a breaking point - besieged by far-right populism and an entrenched oligarchic elite - urging progressives to unite under a “new patriotism” grounded not in nationalism, but in justice and resistance to kleptocracy.

On June 10, the Alexis Tsipras Institute will convene its second annual international conference in Athens, bringing together leading progressive voices from both sides of the Atlantic. Held at the Megaron Concert Hall, the summit will feature U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, philosopher Michael Sandel, and other high-profile figures for in-depth discussions on democracy, social justice, and rising authoritarianism.

Vasiliki Vlachou, the former judicial supervisor of Greece’s intelligence agency during a period of mass surveillance, has been promoted to Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court—despite her central role in a still-unfolding wiretapping scandal that targeted politicians, ministers, military officials, and journalists, raising urgent questions about democratic accountability and judicial independence.

Greece has fallen five spots in the Democracy Index 2024, ranking 25th globally, according to the latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).