Liberal Alliance (Greek: Φιλελεύθερη Συμμαχία, Fileleftheri Symmakhia) is a liberal political party in Greece, founded in February 2007. Its stated purpose is to cover the political ground between what it considers to constitute a conservative New Democracy and the socialist PASOK.[1]
The highest organ in Liberal Alliance is its bi-annual Congress, which elects a seven (7) member Steering Committee. The CC then elects the President.
Electoral results
The party participated in the 2007 general elections in Greece, where it tallied 0,1% of the popular vote, ranking 13th among 21 candidate parties. Its highest percentage was in the first Athens electoral prefecture, where it tallied 544 votes out of 337.000 cast, equaling 0,17%, while its worst percentage was in the prefecture of Pieria, which is the only prefecture where the party fielded no candidates.
It also participated in the 2009 European Parliament Greek elections, with an even lower tally of 0,08% of the popular vote, ranking 24th among 27 candidate parties. The results of the 2009 euroelections, considered as catastrophic, led the party to not participate in the 2009 general elections in Greece, held three months later.
In the 2010 local elections Liberal Alliance participated through the ‘Portokali’ movement in the coalition ‘Dikaioma stin poli’ of Giorgos Kaminis that won the mayorship of Athens.
In the May 2012 election to the Hellenic Parliament, Liberal Alliance ran in electoral alliance with Drassi. It won 1.8% of the vote
People
The Liberal Alliance defines itself as classical liberal party, championing personal liberty and human rights in both the political, social and economic sectors. Some of its positions are:
- Withdrawal of the state from every kind of business activity and the reduction in the size of government and public sector.
- Decriminalization of drug use.
- Full separation of church and state.
- Abolition of the (compulsory in Greece) military draft.
- Abolition of permanent employment in the civil sector.
- Tax reduction.
- Permission for non-Government controlled universities to exist.
- Privatization of state run public services.
- Respect for the individuality of citizens.
- Abolition of the state-run, defined benefit scheme to a defined contribution pension system managed entirely by the private sector under supervision by a specialized government superintendency.