With one a theatrical but obviously staged prologue The event began Alexis Tsipras at Thiseio for the announcement of his new party, with the actors Emilio Cheilaki and Marianna Toumasatou to take charge of the introduction before the former prime minister's speech.
The two actors appeared on the stage below the Acropolis and, as they read their lines, set the tone for the event. Their performance had a distinctly theatrical quality, and there was no shortage of political jabs aimed at the broader context of the new party initiatives.
The theatrical prologue before Tsipras's appearance
Ο Emilios Cheilakis and the Marianna Toumasatou They took it upon themselves to introduce Alexis Tsipras, presenting the political context of the event in the form of a dialogue.
Their introduction did not take the form of a traditional political presentation. Instead, it took on more of the style of a theatrical commentary, featuring questions and answers, allusions, and references to what the founding of a new political party entails.
The «digs» at the new parties
The foreword also included some pointed remarks about the parties that have recently emerged on the political scene.
In a conversation with a clearly ironic tone, the two actors asked each other: «Should we let the doves fly? Should we make a video, too?», with Marianna Toumasatou commenting that it is not influencer.
She also wondered whether, in the end, «more political parties are being created than we can handle»—a remark that was interpreted as a clear jab at the proliferation of new political parties.
The indirect reference to Maria Karystianou's party
These remarks were interpreted as indirect «digs» at the new political venture of Maria Karystianou, which had taken place a few days before Tsipras's event.
Without naming it directly, the two actors drew parallels between new political initiatives that are presented as «newcomers» and Tsipras’s project, which was presented as the continuation of a political trajectory with deep roots.
Cheilakis: «This place has roots and history»
A clearer political edge was provided by the Emilios Cheilakis, who spoke about «first-time entrants» and «newly appearing» from «another political direction.».
He then added: «There are roots and history here. The thread begins with the ruling Left.».
With this phrase, the preface sought to link Tsipras’s new party to its experience in government and to distinguish it from movements that present themselves as new political initiatives without a corresponding history of governing.
Heilaki's Connection to Tsipras's «Ithaca»
The presence of Aimilios Cheilakis at the event carried additional symbolic significance, as the actor had lent his voice to the audio version of the «Ithaca» by Alexis Tsipras.
He had read the work as a narrator, a fact that had already linked him to the former prime minister’s recent political and personal narrative.
«President, come here.»
The theatrical scene concluded with the two actors inviting Alexis Tsipras onto the stage.
With the phrase «President, come here.», Aimilios Cheilakis and Marianna Toumasatou concluded the opening remarks and set the stage for the former prime minister’s keynote address.
An event with strong symbolic significance
The choice of two well-known actors for the event’s opening was no accident. It gave the announcement of the new party a more staged and symbolic character, in an attempt to combine politics, emotion, and public spectacle.
At the same time, the criticism directed at the new parties showed that Tsipras’s project does not simply seek to be presented as just another political initiative, but as the continuation of a journey with political weight, a history of governing, and a clear claim to a place among center-left and left-wing voters.
