Greek Rally ( el, Ἑλληνικὸς Συναγερμός (ΕΣ), ''Ellīnikòs Synagermós'' (ES)) was a right-wing political party in Greece.

History

Founded on 6 August 1951 by former field marshal

Alexandros Papagos Alexandros Papagos ( el, Αλέξανδρος Παπάγος; 9 December 1883 – 4 October 1955) was a Greek army officer who led the Hellenic Army in World War II and the later stages of the subsequent Greek Civil War. The only Greek career o ...

, the party encompassed a broad spectrum of the royalist

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...

elements in Greek society and was modelled on the

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

Rassemblement du Peuple Français The Rally of the French People (french: Rassemblement du Peuple Français, RPF) was a French political party, led by Charles de Gaulle. Foundation The RPF was founded by Charles de Gaulle in Strasbourg on 14 April 1947, one year after his resig ...

(RPF). Throughout the years, the Greek right had become splintered. Papagos' new party managed to attract considerable support, and the Populist Uniting Party (led by

Panagiotis Kanellopoulos Panagiotis Kanellopoulos or Panayotis Kanellopoulos ( el, Παναγιώτης Κανελλόπουλος; 13 December 1902, in Patras, Achaea – 11 September 1986, in Athens) was a Greek writer, politician and Prime Minister of Greece. He w ...

and

Stephanos Stephanopoulos Stefanos Stefanopoulos ( el, Στέφανος Στεφανόπουλος, 3 July 1898 – 4 October 1982) was a Greek politician, and served as Prime Minister of Greece from 1965 to 1966. Stefanopoulos was born in Pyrgos, Elis. He was a modera ...

) and the New Party (led by Spiros Markezinis) dissolved and merged with the Greek Rally. Later on, a large portion of the People's Party, the major right-wing party of the prewar era, defected to the Greek Rally; among the prominent defectors was Konstantinos Karamanlis. The popularity of Papagos, who had reinstated the autonomy of the Greek military during his tenure as its commander, enabled the party to quickly eclipse the Populists. In the September 1951 general election, the Greek Rally garnered 114 parliamentary seats (taking 36.5 per cent of the vote) compared to only two for the People's Party—thus firmly establishing itself as the major force of the right. This was well short of a majority, and Papagos refused to enter a coalition. In the subsequent November 1952 general election, the Greek Rally gained 240 out of 300 seats in the Greek Parliament, an achievement helped in no small way by a change in the electoral system. The party effectively ended with the death of its leader in October 1955. His successor, Karamanlis, relaunched the party as the

National Radical Union The National Radical Union ( el, Ἐθνικὴ Ῥιζοσπαστικὴ Ἕνωσις (ΕΡΕ), ''Ethnikī́ Rizospastikī́ Énōsis'' (ERE)) was a Greek political party formed in 1956 by Konstantinos Karamanlis, mostly out of the Greek Ra ...

References

{{Conservatism in Greece Conservative parties in Greece Eastern Orthodox political parties Monarchist parties in Greece Nationalist parties in Greece Defunct political parties in Greece 1950s in Greek politics Political parties established in 1951 1951 establishments in Greece Right-wing parties in Europe 1956 disestablishments in Greece Political parties disestablished in 1956

History

See also

References