Former Greek anti-austerity leader Alexis Tsipras steps back into politics

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Alexis Tsipras, the combative Greek anti‑austerity leader who railed against Brussels during the country's debt crisis, returned to politics Tuesday ahead of elections next year.

The former prime minister launched a new left-wing political party, the Greek Left Alliance, cheered on by supporters at an outdoor event beneath the Acropolis.

“We cannot stand by and watch society suffocate,” Tsipras said, arguing that the center-right government's pro-business agenda has worsened income inequality. “We don’t want to get used to a world of war and injustice.”

At 51, Tsipras ended a three-year pause from active politics. He remains a polarizing figure.

He rose to power in 2015 on promises to end the harsh austerity measures demanded by Greece’s European creditors and the International Monetary Fund. The standoff rattled global markets as Greece came close to crashing out of the euro currency bloc. Athens eventually accepted new loans and more austerity.

Tsipras now hopes to peel away support — and potentially lawmakers — from rival opposition parties as he seeks to challenge conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his bid for a third term.

In launching the new party, Tsipras focused heavily on affordable housing, stronger labor protections and widening economic inequality, themes his allies believe could resonate with younger and lower-income voters squeezed by rising living costs. He also criticized the government's close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite a cost-of-living crunch and a corruption scandal that has dogged his government, Mitsotakis continues to lead comfortably in opinion polls, buoyed by steady economic growth and falling unemployment.

Greece’s opposition landscape remains deeply fragmented with seven parties currently represented in parliament.

Several newcomers and smaller groups are competing to gain traction ahead of the vote. Last week, the mother of a 19-year-old university student killed in Greece’s 2023 rail disaster launched an anti-corruption party, adding further pressure on established opposition groups.

Tsipras’ supporters argue he shielded ordinary Greeks during the country’s darkest economic years and made painful compromises to avert national disaster.

Critics, however, accuse him of betraying voters by campaigning against austerity only to later sign a tough bailout agreement.

“No matter how hard Mr. Tsipras tries — investing in communication that has no substance — to bury his record deep in the ground, the truth will follow him forever,” government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said.

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Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece

The logo of ELAS, the new party founded by former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, is displayed on giant screens ahead of next year's elections in Athens on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras waves to supporters in front of ancient Acropolis at an event to launch a new political party ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to supporters in front of ancient Acropolis at an event to launch a new political party ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Suporters clap hands as they listen to a speech by former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at an event to launch a new political party ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras holds the founding manifesto of his new political party as speaks to supporters in front of the ancient Acropolis , ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

BOSTON (AP) — Drivers for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft celebrated Tuesday after Massachusetts became the first state to recognize their union, a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers classified as independent contractors under federal labor law.

The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion of self-driving technology.

As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House providing a backdrop, labor leaders described Friday's certification as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941.

Jean Fredo, who has driven for Uber for more than seven years, said he hopes the union will bring better pay, stronger protections against sudden deactivations and more stability for drivers.

“With the union, it will not feel like we’re working for nothing,” he said in French through a translator. “Now the money will not only stay in the billionaire’s pockets. The money will actually come to the workers who work very hard.”

Uber and Lyft said they planned to work with the new bargaining framework as negotiations move forward. Uber said it would work with the union and regulators while preserving “driver flexibility and hard-won benefits,” while Lyft said it was committed to “engaging in good faith” and “helping drivers succeed while keeping rideshare affordable and dependable for everyone who counts on it.”

The certification became possible after the state's voters approved a 2024 ballot measure creating a first-in-the-nation framework allowing ride-hailing drivers to unionize and bargain collectively while remaining independent contractors. Organizers say the union will ultimately represent nearly 70,000 drivers statewide.

“Without the support of the drivers, we wouldn’t be here,” Victoria Acosta, a mother who drives for both Uber and Lyft, said in Spanish through a translator. She said she hopes the victory inspires drivers in other states.

Uber and Lyft drivers are generally classified as independent contractors rather than employees, meaning they are not covered by many traditional labor protections under federal law. Drivers typically use their own vehicles, pay for expenses such as gas and maintenance themselves and can choose when and how long they work through the apps.

Fredo said when he started driving for Uber he appreciated the flexibility and the ability to make his own schedule while still being present for his family. But over time, he said, he found himself working longer hours while earning less as gas and maintenance costs climbed.

Drivers can also lose access to the apps with little warning, he said.

“I live with stress — always scared to lose my app. This is not a way to live," said Fredo, who helped sign up hundreds of other drivers at airports and gathering spots around the Boston area.

“This is my family,” he said, holding up a photo of his four children. “I’m fighting for a better life for them — just like everyone else is fighting for their families. My dream is to save and send my kids to college, and I believe we will get there.”

Supporters say rising vehicle costs, fluctuating pay and opaque app algorithms have fueled frustration among drivers who pay many work expenses themselves. Uber and Lyft have argued that drivers value the flexibility of app-based work and have opposed efforts that could reclassify workers or alter the industry’s business model.

Massachusetts regulators are considering new ride-hailing rules involving safety standards and driver oversight. Days before the union certification, Uber warned in a blog post that some of the proposals could raise costs and reduce flexibility for drivers, while supporters said the changes are intended to strengthen safety and accountability.

The organizing effort has also unfolded alongside the rapid expansion of autonomous vehicle technology. Massachusetts still requires a licensed human operator inside autonomous vehicles tested on public roads.

Waymo has expanded driverless taxi operations in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, heightening anxiety among some ride-hailing drivers about the future of their jobs.

Julie Blust of the App Drivers Union said drivers across the country regularly communicate with one another about changing conditions in the industry, including the expansion of autonomous vehicles.

“Drivers now have an official organization and can speak with one voice about what’s happening in this industry,” Blust said. “We cannot let billions of dollars leave Massachusetts and go to Silicon Valley. That money feeds people’s families, that money pays the rent."

A demonstrator holds copy of a certification recognizing the App Drivers Union as the bargaining representative for Massachusetts rideshare drivers during a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the App Drivers Union announced it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)

Massachusetts Uber driver Jean Fredo raises his arms while speaking during a during a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the App Drivers Union announced it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)

An organizer with the App Drivers Union speaks through a megaphone during a during a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the App Drivers Union announced it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)

Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey speaks during a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the App Drivers Union announced it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)

Members of the App Drivers Union hold a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the announcement that it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)