Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the Greek
Coalition of the Radical Left -- best
known by its acronym, Syriza -- is the
focus of attention in Europe after his
party's victory in Sunday's election.
Tsipras has vowed to bring change to a country devastated by an economic crisis
and strict austerity measures.
After seven years as the president of his
party, 40-year-old Tsipras now stands on
the threshold of Greece’s presidential
palace, ready to create a new government. Tsipras has been preparing for this
moment for the past 2 1/2 years, ever
since Syriza was proclaimed the second
biggest party participating in national
elections.
Some in politics would say Tsipras is a “sprinter," since he managed to
accomplish in a short period of time what
others have worked for their entire lives.
While the economic crisis and the
indignation of the Greek people have been
important factors in Tsipras' rise and the success of Syriza, the Greek Parliament's
youngest party leader distinguished
himself on the political scene early on.
Even today, his political opponents
belligerently bring up his political actions
as a “kid.” FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO THE
LEADERSHIP OF SYRIZA Born on July 28, 1974 in Athens, Tsipras
stood out as a student at Ampelokipoi
Academic High School, and was the face
of the mobilizations against educational
reforms promoted by the Ministry of
Education. He joined the Communist Youth Of Greece at an early age, but left
during his undergraduate years studying
civil engineering at the National
Polytechnic University of Athens. He
moved over to the Youth of the Coalition
of the Left, where he made his presence known.
Tsipras faced a challenging path and
developed an acute instinct for political
survival as he rose in the hierarchy of the
youth Coalition. Many within the party
were critical when Tsipras' predecessor Alekos Alavanos recommended -- or
imposed, according to some -- him as a
candidate for mayor of Athens in 2006.
Tsipras did not win that election.
Tsipras became a threat to even more
people within the party in 2008, when he was elected president of the Coalition of
the Left with a record percentage of the
votes. His relationship with Alavanos, for
example, was reportedly very poor at the
time. In 2009, shortly before Alavanos
resigned and Tsipras was about to become the new leader of the Coalition, the two
men did not exchange a word. THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT Yiannis Dragasakis, editor of the majority
of the Program of Syriza and connoisseur
of international economics, on the other
hand, is one of Tsipras' closest associates.
Also by his side is Nikos Papas, a
personal friend since the mid-1990s, who returned from Scotland to Greece at
Tsipras’ request. Papas became the
director of the party’s political bureau and
the press usually refers to him as Tsipras'
“alter ego.” Panos Skourtelis, the party’s
spokesman, is also one of Tsipras' trusted associates.
Those who know Tsipras well say he
rarely loses control or focus; he stays on
target and he is always calm. They say he
rarely gets angry, and even when he does,
he does not hold a grudge. Many associates and members of
Parliament refer to him as “cool.” Yet
when interacting with citizens, he offers
big smiles and intimate gestures.
He is, nevertheless, a man who wants to
be in control. One example is the fact that no article or document exits his office
before he gets a chance to edit it himself,
no matter what is going on.
He keeps constant tabs on the news, and
one of his early morning activities is to
read through the Greek press, the Financial Times and the international
edition of the New York Times. He is
briefed on all other issues during the
established “morning coffee sessions.” STRICTLY PERSONAL Beyond his political career, Tsipras is an
ordinary man with a happy family. He
prefers to keep his personal life out of the
press as much as possible, like most
European politicians who want to protect
their privacy. Despite the fact that he has been part of Greece’s political scene for
more than 10 years, photographers have
only managed to capture very few of his
private family moments.
His teenage love and partner, electrical
engineer Betty Batziana, has made very few public appearances. They met in high
school, and soon after both became
members of the youth wing of the
Communist Party. They led various
student protests in 1990 and 1991.
Partners in life and social struggles, they chose not to marry but to enter a civil
partnership.
The couple’s two sons, 4-year-old Pavlos
and 2-year-old Ernestos-Orfeas, are also
kept away from the public.
Despite the increasing amount of obligations in recent years, the couple
chooses to “escape” as often as possible
to Aegina. Numerous former coworkers,
including close associate and family
friend Alekos Flampouraris, own summer
houses on the island. SMALL WEAKNESSES With his busy schedule, Tsipras not only
had to cut down on family time, but also
on soccer. Tsipras was a sport fanatic and
played soccer in the past. Nowadays,
finding time to go to the stadium is a
luxury. He says he is a fervent fan of Panathinaikos FC, and in an interview for
Diva magazine in 2007, he playfully
stated, “If we don’t win the championship
this year, I will stop believing in Santa
Claus.”
Tsipras has a weak spot for motorcycles and, until 2012, frequently moved around
on two wheels. He now prefers the
security of a car.
His new restrictions do not stop there:
Going out for dinner or drinks has been
limited, and not only because of his workload. “Being a public figure limits
your social life, since sometimes you just
want to have dinner or drinks with friends
without everyone looking at your group,”
an associate explained.
Even though he is a music lover, with a fondness for Latin American culture, he is
often unable to enjoy it. Events with
traditional Greek and folk music, like the
festivals of his youth, are now hard to
revive.