The populist radical left in Greece: Syriza in opposition and in power

The contribution of this chapter is threefold: First, it offers an original and extensive survey of the discourse of Syriza while in opposition and critically assesses it in terms of its populist character and ideologico-political contents. Second, it delves into the peculiarities of Syriza’s populism to highlight specific shortcomings in mainstream approaches to populism, while advocating for a minimal discursive definition based on the theoretical contribution of Ernesto Laclau. Third, it offers an assessment of Syriza’s populism in power, linking the empirical findings of this particular case-study with broader theoretical questions regarding populism’s transition from opposition to power.