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Assignment: The Rise of Syriza

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The Rise of Syriza

14/06/2012

BBC World Service - Assignment, The Rise of Syriza

Assignment tracks the meteoric rise of Syriza, the new force in Greek politics.

For Assignment, Chloe Hadjimatheou tracks the meteoric rise of Syriza, a remarkable new force in Greek politics.

As the people of Greece return to the polls on June 17th, there's a chance they might vote into power a radical left-wing party that before this year had never won more than five percent of the vote.  

At the heart of Syriza's appeal is a simple policy: rejecting the EU bailout memorandum that has imposed sweeping austerity measures on Greece in return for IMF loans.  The party's opponents say it's a high-stakes gamble that could see Greece forced out of the Euro. 

For Assignment, Chloe Hadjimatheou goes behind the scenes at Syriza's headquarters - where staff refer to each other as comrade - to watch as they prepare for what could be one of the most profound shifts in Greek political history.

(Image: Alexis Tsipras, head of Syriza, delivers a speech during a pre-election rally in Athens on June 6, 2012. Credit: Reuters / Yorgos Karahalis)

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