TSIPRAS: We’ve read a lot of “armchair” analyses, many of which were quite dismissive of the new ELAS party; yet its name was the first major surprise from its leader, and it stood out and was widely discussed.
So it has already achieved an important communication goal: not to be... irrelevant.
As you may have noticed, on all issues we avoid like the plague any approach that “makes our wish come true.”
So, having read the first polls, which show the new party surpassing PASOK “right off the bat”—either marginally (Interview) or quite clearly (RealPolls)—and while awaiting those to follow, we’d like to share some assessments with you.
Regarding the “trump cards” Tsipras has up his sleeve, as well as what the strategy appears to be that led him to overcome his hesitation about returning.
TSIPRAS II: Alexis’s first “ace” is the percentage he received with SYRIZA in the second election of 2023. That is, the 17.83% who voted for SYRIZA—in other words, for Tsipras.
Why? Because those who voted for him then already knew, from the first election, who had won and who had lost. It was a vote centered on Tsipras, under conditions of defeat, humiliation, and zero expectation of power.
The second “ace” is those February 2025 and 2026 polls by Metron Analysis, which showed that 52% of citizens believe they were better off financially in 2019, while only 27% believe they are better off today.
Whatever may be said in economic and business circles and in newsrooms, a very large percentage of the population—apparently among disadvantaged social groups—seems to believe that they were better off with Tsipras as prime minister.
And at some point , this may become a key “message.”
The third “ace” is the fact that, as these polls we mentioned show, it is already emerging as the leading opposition party, without having even really left the… locker room. Something that, if it takes hold, will give it even greater momentum.
TSIPRAS III: Some analysts, based on the preliminary data available to them, see the 13%-16% range as a “threshold” for the new party , if it fails to capitalize on the positive momentum of its launch and PASOK proves to be a tough nut to crack.
The baseline scenario, they say, under current conditions—since much can happen along the way—places it at 15%–18%, and the best-case scenario at 18%–21%, if PASOK is severely squeezed and Karystianou loses significant ground.
The purely negative scenario puts him at 9%–12%, if he makes political and organizational mistakes, PASOK holds its ground, and Karistianou stabilizes at levels around or above 10%.
In any case, however, these same political analysts say that Tsipras’s basic plan—which, of course, could be derailed by serious political and organizational mistakes—is now clear.
Second place is well within his reach. And if this is achieved, with a percentage higher than the 17.83% of 2023, it will instantly make him not only the main opposition but also a key contender for power in the… subsequent elections, following a possible ND-PASOK coalition government.
All it needs is for the… rebranding to succeed.
JUNCKER: It wasn’t exactly “exclusive” news that Juncker had suggested to Tsipras, during the heated negotiations of 2015, that he tax shipowners, and that Tsipras refused.
Early yesterday, a video was released featuring an interview with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Euronews from September 2015. In it , he himself refers to the proposal in question by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, explaining his refusal.
In short, he noted that shipowners have their tax domiciles primarily in offshore companies or can change their domicile at any time, so“for their taxation to take effect, the system must be changed across the entire European Union.”
Unless, as he concluded in the interview, the EU is ready and willing to make such a change.
Which, of course... it wasn’t.
POLAKIS: The independent MP is not only … sharp-tongued but also quick-witted, as he proved twice yesterday.
The first time was when he responded to Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s remark that Alexis Tsipras kept the name ELAS for his party and left Polakis… the EAM.
So, after he wrote (online) that the prime minister’s problem is “both the EAM and ELAS, as well as the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE)” because he has turned New Democracy into“the ERE of the ’50s,”he concluded: “and you’re afraid Samaraswill take the EDES from you.”
“Playing” along himself with the pun that had been circulating since Tuesday night, that “since Tsipras founded ELAS, Antonis Samaras should also found… EDES to top it off” (where EDES was the National Democratic Hellenic Association that operated during the German occupation in Epirus and played a leading role in the civil war against the EAM-ELAS).
The second time the Cretan MP proved quick-witted, sending a… message in the process, was when the Vice Speaker of Parliament, Olga Gerovasili (who has been fiercely opposed to him for years…) got confused and addressed him as a “SYRIZA MP” instead of an “independentMP” (as he is following his expulsion from Famellos).
Polakis’s response? “Are you convinced, Madam Speaker, that I am independent? I was and am, as of today, a member of SYRIZA.”
The“ as oftoday” is obviously due to the founding of Tsipras’s new party and the shattering of certain illusions at Koumoundourou, to which he himself is preparing to return very soon… glory and honor.
SYRIZA: Since we’re on the subject, there are also some (few) at Koumoundourou who still hope that Alexis will take them along with him, as a party, on a joint electoral ticket in the hope that they might be saved.
They base their hope on the term “Coalition” he chose for the party’s name, reasoning that, since he’s talking about a coalition, he must be inviting us to join forces.
“If he wanted something like that, he would have talked about an ‘Alliance,’” is the response from Alexis’s associates, effectively dashing even the last (?) hopes.
KRI KRI: The improvement in profit marginspromised last year by the dairy company’s management arrived three months late, but the crisis in the Middle East is driving up costs, resulting in an expected gradual decline for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Thanks to a 54.3% increase in yogurt exports (€62.4 million), the gross margin expanded to 32.8% (Q1 2025: 27.3%) and the EBITDA margin to 21.9% (Q1 2025: 15.8%). EBITDA rose to €19.7 million from €10.5 million, and net profit to €13.9 million, nearly double that of the first quarter of 2025 (€7.24 million).
DEI: Nearly one in every four euros of yesterday’s trading volume (€84.4 million out of €346.9 million) on the stock exchange involved the Company’s shares, a development considered normal, given that it was only the second day since the new shares were introduced.
Ultimately, and despite testing higher levels, the stock closed down 2.23% at 21 euros , as it had come off a new record high.
In the same session, the four systemic banks accounted for 42% of trading volume, or €146.4 million.
In practical terms, 66% of trading volume was concentrated in just five stocks. And, as it appears, the trend toward trading volume concentration is entering a new phase.
LAVIPHARM: A third consecutive session of gains and a new record for the listed company, which received some… good news yesterday.
The Competition Commission approved the deal with Janssen for the acquisition of the rights to Durogesic, and in fact, much faster than expected.
This effectively means that sales of the product will begin immediately and will generate significant revenue as early as this year.
The stock closed at €1.70, up 0.71% in yesterday’s session. The quarterly return is over 24%.
EIS: European Innovation Solutions is now just a hair’s breadth away from recouping this year’slosses. Yesterday, the stock rose to €1.98 (+5.88%) on heavy trading volume, totaling €493,000. It is worth noting that the stock closed at €2.10 on December 31.
The company announced yesterday that it has secured several new high-value contracts, increasing its backlog of projects to €13 million. Meanwhile, a dividend of €0.06 per share is being proposed at the Annual General Meeting.
JUMBO: The“battered” stock of Apostolos Vakakis’s company got a boost. It rose to €23.50, or 4.26% higher, following the announcement of an expansion into six new markets through a franchise agreement with the BALFIN Group.
Although expansion through franchising typically involves lower profit margins compared to operating company-owned stores, it remains a low-risk model, notes Optima Bank. This is because it requires limited capital expenditures (capex) and involves no exposure to inventory.
The agreement, the analysis continues, provides access to large and otherwise hard-to-reach markets, such as Canada, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and others, while the creation of a new logistics hub based in China reduces transportation costs and enhances supply chain efficiency for neighboring Central Asian markets.
Despite the reaction, Jumbo has lost 14% of its value over the past six months. Even after the aforementioned deal, Citi maintains its target price at 25 euros.