Internal organisation and reinvention during intra-party crisis: The cases of Greek radical parties ‘Niki’ and ‘Spartiates’

The results of the 2023 Greek parliamentary elections brought new political parties under the spotlight: the ultra-conservative ‘Niki’ (Victory) and the far-right ‘Spartiates’. The parties’ electoral gains brought them significant visibility, highlighting their different beginnings. Whilst ‘Niki’ reflected a pro-Christian agenda, echoing ultra-religious organisations’ positions, ‘Spartiates’ had a blurred background due to their communication with Elias Kasidiaris, a jailed now former member of Golden Dawn. Much of the first six months of their presence in the parliament was followed by accusations regarding their communication and cooperation with Kasidiaris. This resulted in the party’s almost breakup, as the party’s leader was marginalised by his MPs. In the meantime, there was a public discussion of whether the party lied to the voters and the possibility of bringing them to justice. Conversely, ‘Niki’ had a neutral, marginalised appearance under stable leadership, promoting its agenda on specific occasions. Acknowledging the differentiation between those two ideologically familiar parties, I question how radical parties manage internal organisation under intra-party crises. Furthermore, I will attempt to answer with what mechanisms they try to reinvent themselves after such episodes, considering their damage to the electorate’s eyes. For my material, I will use the party’s official announcements, aiming to expand our idea of intra-party organisation in radical parties in crises, as well as their success or not to reinvent themselves, maintaining their anti-establishment profile.