ATHENS (Sputnik) – The newly formed Greek anti-austerity Popular Unity party has registered to take part in the snap elections scheduled for September 20, one of the party’s leading members confirmed Thursday.
The party, made up of lawmakers who broke away from the left-wing Syriza party, is led by former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis.
Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras decided to call early elections and resigned in a bid to secure popular support for his position on the third bailout deal with the country's creditors. The terms of the agreement include harsh austerity measures for Greece.
The Popular Unity movement is currently the third largest governmental faction in the country. The party, established on August 21, continues to reject the Greek bailout deal, agreed by Tsipras with the country’s international lenders.