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The Independent Greeks (Template:Lang-el, Anexartitoi Ellines, ANEL) is a conservative, national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Greece. The party won 13 seats in Greece's January 2015 parliamentary election and agreed to form a governing coalition with Syriza.

Foundation

The party was created by Panos Kammenos, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the conservative party New Democracy (ND) on 24 February 2012. Kammenos had been expelled from the New Democracy parliamentary group after voting against Lucas Papademos' coalition government in a vote of confidence. The founding declaration was presented on 11 March 2012.

The party has been joined by ten former ND deputies, namely Elena Koundoura, el, el, el, Spyros Galinos, el, el, Panagiotis Melas and el

The minor left-wing anti-bailout party Panhellenic Citizen Chariot also reached an election cooperation agreement with the Independent Greeks on 17 April 2012.

Policies

Economically, the party opposes the Memorandum, the loan agreement between Greece, the EU and the International Monetary Fund. Party leader Kammenos has proclaimed a "national awakening and uprising," and has stated that Greece had fallen victim to an "international conspiracy". In a 2012 speech, Kammenos said Greece was now a "laboratory animal" in an austerity experiment conducted by the IMF and EU, who "used the public debt as a means of control."

The party campaigns for lifting the immunity from prosecution granted to ministers, parliamentarians, and officials who bear the blame for the crisis, and then make them accountable. It calls for the protection of national sovereignty, for German war reparations (for the invasion and occupation of Greece in the Second World War), for cancelling the Memorandum which it deems illegal, and for building Greece anew.

The party has announced that it will start working to create a patriotic Democratic Front, the aim of which would be to save "Greece from the neo-liberal avalanche."

As for social policy, Independent Greeks stand in opposition to immigration and multiculturalism while supporting the development of a Christian Orthodox oriented education system.

Representation

Prior to the May 2012 legislative election, the party had 11 MPs, in the pre-2012 parliament – 10 defectors from New Democracy and one from Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

The party gained 10.6% of the vote and 33 MPs in the parliamentary election in May 2012. In the snap June 2012 legislative election, ANEL received 7.5% of vote, reducing the party's representation to 20 MPs.

In the 2014 European Parliament election held on 25 May 2014, ANEL received 3.5% of the vote, electing a single MEP who sits with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.

In the legislative election held on 25 January 2015, ANEL received 4.75% of the vote and mandate to return 13 MPs to the Hellenic Parliament. On 26 January 2015, ANEL agreed to form a governing coalition with the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA).

Election results

Hellenic Parliament

Hellenic Parliament
Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
May 2012	670,957	10.6 (#4)	33 / 300		in opposition
Jun 2012	462,406	7.5 (#4)	20 / 300	13	in opposition
2015	293,371	4.8 (#6)	13 / 300	7	in coalition

European Parliament

References

1. "Kammenos attracts another New Democracy breakaway", Athens News, 20 March 2012
2. ^ "Venizelos draws battle lines for general elections", Ekathimerini, 15 March 2012
3. http://www.parties-and-elections.de/greece.html
4. "LAOS questions poor showing in opinion polls", Ekathimerini, 22 March 2012
5. ^ "Migration woes take centre stage ahead of Greek election", The New Age, 3 April 2012
6. Mannin, Michael (2013). Evaluating the Europeanization Effect. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 210. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
7. Erol Külahci (14 January 2014). Europeanisation and Party Politics: How the EU affects Domestic Actors, Patterns and Systems. ECPR Press. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-1-907301-84-1.
8. Granitsas, Alkman (4 March 2012), "Dallara Says Debt Swap Is on Track", The Wall Street Journal
9. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/greece-elections-syriza-forms-coalition-far-right-independent-greeks-1485137
10. http://www.vox.com/2015/1/25/7888093/greek-election-results
11. The counselors of the Regions.
12. Tom Lansford (7 April 2014). Political Handbook of the World 2014. SAGE Publications. p. 549. ISBN 978-1-4833-3327-4.
13. ^ Boyka M. Stefanova (14 November 2014). The European Union beyond the Crisis: Evolving Governance, Contested Policies, and Disenchanted Publics. Lexington Books. p. 261. ISBN 978-1-4985-0348-8.
14. ^ Christian Karner; Bram Mertens (30 September 2013). The Use and Abuse of Memory: Interpreting World War II in Contemporary European Politics. Transaction Publishers. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4128-5203-6.
15. Syriza and Independent Greeks agree Greece coalition, 25 January 2015 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |source= ignored (help)
16. ^ "Ousted New Democracy MP starts own party", Ekathimerini, 24 February 2012
17. ^ "Kammenos introduces Independent Greeks", Athens News, 11 March 2012
18. "Ten former ND MPs move with Kammenos", Capital, 14 March 2012
19. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_03/05/2012_440466
20. Greek election: who are Independent Greeks?
21. Independent Greeks respond to the scenarios for the collapse of the party with a founding congress grreporter.info
22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLQRiyN_oLo
23. http://anexartitoiellines.gr/parl_press_more.php?post_id=433
24. http://anexartitoiellines.gr/post.php?post_id=4220
25. http://anexartitoiellines.gr/files/parousiasi.pdf
26. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. (1 March 2013). Britannica Book of the Year 2013. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. p. 427. ISBN 978-1-62513-103-4.
27. http://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/v/public/index.htm
28. Syriza and Independent Greeks agree Greece coalition

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