Popular Orthodox Rally Λαϊκός Ορθόδοξος Συναγερμός | |
---|---|
President | Philippos Kampouris |
Founder | Georgios Karatzaferis |
Founded | 14 September 2000 |
Split from | New Democracy |
Headquarters | 52, Kallirois Avenue, 117 45 Athens |
Youth wing | Youth of the Orthodox Rally |
Ideology | Greek nationalism[1] Right-wing populism[2][3][4] Religious conservatism[5] Euroscepticism[6] |
Political position | Right-wing[7] to far-right[3][4] |
Colours | Dark Blue |
Parliament | 0 / 300 |
European Parliament | 0 / 21 |
Regional councillors | 2 / 611 |
Website | |
laos.com.gr | |
The Popular Orthodox Rally or People's Orthodox Alarm[8] (Greek: Λαϊκός Ορθόδοξος Συναγερμός, Laikós Orthódoxos Synagermós), often abbreviated to LAOS (ΛΑ.Ο.Σ.) as a reference to the Greek word for people, is a Greek right-wing populist political party.[2][3][4] It was founded by journalist Georgios Karatzaferis in 2000, a few months after he was expelled from the centre-right New Democracy. Today, the party is led by Philippos Kampouris.
In 2004, LAOS secured support from the Party of Hellenism and the Hellenic Women's Political Party. In 2005, LAOS absorbed the nationalist[9][10] Hellenic Front.[11][third-party source needed] The youth branch of LAOS is the Youth of the Orthodox Rally (NEOS) (which is also a pun on the word for "youth" in Greek). The Popular Orthodox Rally was a member of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group in the European Parliament during the 7th European Parliament, and was a member of the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe, a European political party, until the AIDE's dissolution in 2008.
The party failed to reach the 3% threshold of the popular vote in the 2004 elections, with 2.2%; three months later it gained 4.12% of the vote and one seat in the 2004 European Parliamentary Elections. LAOS received 3.8% of the vote in the 2007 elections, electing 10 members of parliament. In 2009 LAOS managed to elect two representatives in the European Parliament, receiving 7.14% of the vote. After receiving 5.63% of the vote and electing 15 members of parliament in the 2009 elections, LAOS dropped below the 3% threshold in 2012 and failed to secure any seats in parliament. On 8 April 2016 LAOS joined the alliance National Unity. The party did not contest the 2019 elections or the May 2023 or June 2023 Greek legislative election.
High profile members, such as Makis Voridis, Thanos Plevris and Adonis Georgiadis, have since joined New Democracy, all three becoming ministers in the Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in what has been described as a "LAOSification" of the latter.[12] Prior to the 2023 Greek legislative election, the party's founder and long-time president, Georgios Karatzaferis, praised Mitsotakis, calling him "the best politician of the century".[13][14]
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