Drachmi Greek Democratic Movement Five Stars (abbreviated as: Drachma Five Star) was a Greek eurosceptic political party established on May 1, 2013 by Theodore Katsanevas (1947-2021), a one-time member of PASOK and son-in-law of Andreas Papandreou, with a primary target for Greece to abandon the euro and to return to the drachma. Γκρίλο α λα ελληνικά (Grillo a la Grec), 09.05.2013, I Avgi"Δραχμή 5 αστέρων": Το νέο κόμμα του Κατσανέβα (Drachma 5 Star, the new party of Katsanevas, news247.gr, 8/5/2013
Purpose The purpose of the party was for Greece to abandon the euro in favour of the drachma. The five stars symbolise "the overturn of the Memorandum, the return to the drachma, robust growth, national dignity and social justice", but they also clearly state a connection to the Italian party Five Star Movement of the comic actor Beppe GrilloΤο κόμμα «Δραχμή Πέντε Αστέρων» ίδρυσε ο Θεόδωρος Κατσανέβας (Theodoros Katsanevas founded the party "Drachma Five Star"), Ta Nea, 08/05/2013 and the Italian press refer to Theodoros Katsanevas as "the Greek Beppe Grillo".«Ο Έλληνας Μπέπε Γκρίλο»: Ο Θ. Κατσανέβας στην ιταλική Huffington Post (the Greek Beppe Grillo: Th. Katstanevas in the Italian Huffington Post), 22/05/2013, Proto Thema, protothema.gr The party states that it supports "patriotic socialism".Νέο κόμμα η «Δραχμή 5 Αστέρων» (New Party, the "Drachma Five Star"), newspaper Eleftherotypia, enet.gr, 8 May 2013
Collaborations On 15 July 2013, Nikitas Baritakis, former Secretary of the Communications Sector Commission withdrew from PASOK and became member of the party Drachma Five StarΗ αποχώρηση από το ΠΑΣΟΚ, ξεκίνημα για νέα συστράτευση (Secession from PASOK, a beginning for a new elisting), drachmi5.gr, official site while earlier that month there had been a meeting of the Drachma Five Stars with the Patriotic Social Movement where they found identification of several positions.Συνάντηση στελεχών «Δραχμή- Ελληνική Δημοκρατική Κίνηση Πέντε Αστέρων» και «Πατριωτικό Κοινωνικό Κίνημα» για κοινές δράσεις (Meeting of executives from Drachma Five Star and Patriotic Social Movement for common actions), dramini.gr, 2 July 2013 In September 2013, Dr. Bernd Lucke, leader of the Alternative for Germany party, said that they will gradually make alliances with like-minded parties, like the party of Mr. Katsanevas.Η «Εναλλακτική για τη Γερμανία» ρίχνει το ευρώ στην πυρά (Alternative for Germany throws Euro to the fire), 17-09-13, The Kathimerini newspaper, Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ «θα κάνουμε σταδιακά συμμαχίες με άλλους ομοϊδεάτες μας στην Ευρώπη, όπως με το κόμμα που ίδρυσε ο κ. Κατσανέβας στην Ελλάδα (σ.σ. Δραχμή, Ελληνική Δημοκρατική Κίνηση Πέντε Αστέρων) και μαζί θα πορευτούμε» "we will gradually make alliances with other like-minded us in Europe, such as the party founded by Mr Katsanevas in Greece (ed Drachma, Greek Democratic Movement Five Star) and together we will move forward " in a meeting of the two eurosceptic parties which took place in Germany.I 5 stelle greci incontrano i no euro tedeschi. ‘Un network tra Lisbona e Atene’, Il Fatto Quotidiano, 22/8/2013
Reaction of the international press The creation of the party was recorded in the Italian press,"Italians, lead us out of Euro-hell " , treviso24.tv, 20/5/2013 the Turkish pressFive Star Movement began to Greek, habermonitor.com, 10/5/2013 as well as in Brussels.Greek version of anti-euro 5-Star Movement is founded, ANSAmed, 9/5/2013 Elsewhere, importance is brought to the convergence of populist and anti-European leftist parties like Drachma 5 Star and Plan B, as well as of right-wing parties such as Golden Dawn and the "inclusive right wing platform", Independent Greeks both in Greece,Greek modern populism in its European context , openDemocracy.net, 4/11/2013, "there is a remarkable coincidence of views between the left and right tendencies"..."Anti-European left parties such as Theodoros Katsanevas’ "Drachma" and Alekos Alavanos "Plan B" have already been launched and together with the neo-Nazi ‘Golden Dawn’, all record rising percentages in recent polls. A new, inclusive right wing platform, ‘Independent Greeks’, is attempting to collect votes from all poles of the political spectrum purely by using the attractions of such populist policies" as well as among Southern Europe countries.Parteien in EuropaDeutschland verschläft den Populismus , Wirtschafts Woche, 18.07.2013 Attention has been also given to the proposals of the party for a unified currency in south European countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus).Così gli euroscettici conquistano l'Europa A Berlino si preparano a entrare in Parlamento. Come i colleghi greci, olandesi e inglesi, IL GIORNALE, 20/9/2013
References
External links Official site Drachma Five Star