Greece must stop giving blank checks to Trump, says opposition leader Tsipras

Alexis Tsipras, Greece's former prime minister and leader of the opposition party Elas, has called on the government to end its close ties with the Trump administration. In an interview with POLITICO, Tsipras accused conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of making too many concessions to the United States, particularly by granting open-ended access to key military bases, including the major naval base on Crete. He contrasted this with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who blocked U.S. forces from using Spanish bases.

"Greek-U.S. relations are strategic and must be based on mutual benefit," Tsipras said. "The government is issuing blank checks, which does not serve national interests." He stressed that military bases should prioritize Greece's domestic security. This stance aligns with public opinion: a Pew Research Center survey in late June found only 22% of Greeks have confidence in Trump's handling of international affairs.

Tsipras, who gained prominence during the eurozone debt crisis, launched Elas in May to unite a fragmented opposition. The party is currently second in polls with 17% support, behind Mitsotakis's New Democracy at 30%. A general election is expected before Greece assumes the rotating EU Council presidency in July 2027. Tsipras has pledged to focus on social cohesion, increase EU cohesion spending, and tax multinationals and carbon emissions more heavily.

He also highlighted widespread corruption and rising living costs. Annual inflation in Greece reached 5.2% in May 2026, above the eurozone average of 3.2%. Wealth inequality has grown, according to the UBS Global Wealth Report. Tsipras described this as an "invisible corruption tax" that deprives social policy of funding. He argued that his previous premiership ended the bailouts and restored economic credibility, despite the crisis-period turbulence.