The United Democratic Left (, ''Eniéa Dimokratikí Aristerá'' (EDA)) was a left-wing political party in Greece, active mostly before the Greek military junta of 1967–74.

Foundation

The party was founded in July 1951 by prominent center-left and leftist politicians, some of which were former members of ELAS. While initially ''EDA'' was meant to act as a substitute and political front of the banned

Communist Party of Greece The Communist Party of Greece ( el, Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, ''Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas'', KKE) is a political party in Greece. Founded in 1918 as the Socialist Labour Party of Greece and adopted its curren ...

, it eventually acquired a voice of its own, rather pluralistic and moderate. This development was more clearly shown at the time of the 1968 split in the ranks of Communist Party of Greece, with almost all former members of ''EDA'' joining the faction with

Euro-communist Eurocommunism, also referred to as democratic communism or neocommunism, was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more rele ...

, moderate tendencies.

History

''EDA'' participated in all the

elections in Greece At a national level, Greece holds elections for its legislature, the Hellenic Parliament. Election of the legislature The Greek Parliament (''Voulí ton Ellínon'') has 300 members, elected for a four-year term by a system of 'reinforced' prop ...

from 1952 until 1964. In the 1958 elections it managed to become the leading party of the opposition, an achievement all the more surprising in view of the recent end of the

Greek civil war The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...

and the consequently prevailing anti-Left politics at the time. In the 1961 election and 1964 election, ''EDA'' indirectly supported the Center Union against the National Radical Union (NRU). Before the 1963 election, Greece entered a protracted period of political and social unrest, with the assassination of ''EDA'' MP

Gregoris Lambrakis Grigoris Lambrakis ( el, Γρηγόρης Λαμπράκης; 3 April 1912 – 27 May 1963) was a Greek politician, physician, track and field athlete, and member of the faculty of the School of Medicine at the University of Athens. A member of ...

, providing further inflammation. ''EDA'' and the Center Union accused prime minister Constantine Karamanlis and the NRU of the murder, which resulted in more (sometimes violent) manifestations. Karamanlis denounced his accusers, and warned that they contributed to the political instability of the country. An independent judicial inquiry held under public prosecutor Christos Sartzetakis concluded that those responsible for the assassination were far-right extremists linked with rogue elements in the Greek security forces. However, no specific instructions from the ruling political leadership were identified, nor proven in the subsequent trial of the perpetrators.

The party's end

With the advent of the dictatorship of 1967, the party was outlawed by the regime and its members were persecuted. After the restoration of democracy, ''ΕDΑ'' reappeared in the elections of 1974 in an alliance with the

and the Communist Party of Greece (Interior), which were allowed to operate once again, and other leftist parties, under the leadership of

Ilias Iliou Ilias Iliou (, also transliterated as ''Ēlías Ēlioú''; May 1904 – 25 January 1985) was a Greek lawyer and politician, member of the Greek Parliament and leader of the United Democratic Left (EDA). He was also a distinguished writer and ju ...

, the most prominent politician of the Left in Greece at the time. Following a split in the alliance, ''ΕDΑ'' never participated independently in Greek politics again after 1977. Under the leadership of

Manolis Glezos Manolis Glezos ( el, Μανώλης Γλέζος; 9 September 1922 – 30 March 2020) was a Greek left-wing politician, journalist, author, and folk hero, best known for his participation in the World War II resistance. In Greece, he is best r ...

, the party took part in the elections of 1981 and 1985 in an alliance with and within the ranks of Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

Politicians of EDA

Well-known politicians of EDA were: *

Ioannis Passalidis Ioannis (Yianis) Passalidis ( el, Ιωάννης Πασαλίδης; 1886–1968) was a prominent member of the Greek Left and founder of the United Democratic Left party. He was born in the village of Kutaisi, in nowadays Georgia (country), Geo ...

, the most prominent of the ''EDA'' co-founders and leader of its group in the Parliament from 1951 until 1967. *

Nicolas Kitsikis Nicolas Kitsikis ( el, Νίκος Κιτσίκης; Nafplio, August 14, 1887 – July 26, 1978, Athens), was a top civil engineer of 20th century Greece, and father of Beata Maria Kitsikis Panagopoulos, Elsa Schmid-Kitsikis and Dimitri Kitsikis. He ...

* Mikis Theodorakis *

Stefanos Sarafis Stefanos Sarafis ( el, Στέφανος Σαράφης, 23 October 1890 – 31 May 1957) was an officer of the Hellenic Army and Major General in EAM-ELAS), who played an important role during the Greek Resistance. Early life and career Saraf ...

Foundation

History

The party's end

Politicians of EDA

Electoral performance

See also