Centre Union

For other uses, see Centre Union (disambiguation).
Centre Union
Leader Georgios Papandreou
Founder Georgios Papandreou
Founded 1961
Dissolved 1974
Merger of Liberal Party
Progressive Agricultural Democratic Union
National Progressive Center Union
Popular Social Party
Succeeded by Centre Union – New Forces
Ideology Liberalism
Venizelism
Republicanism
Centrism
Political position Centre

The Centre Union (EK, Greek: Ένωσις Κέντρου, Enosis Kentrou) was a Greek political party, created in 1961 by George Papandreou, senior.

The party was elected to power in 1963, with Papandreou as Prime Minister. In 1965, King Constantine forced Papandreou from the office following the Apostasia of 1965 plan, designed by him and executed by Center Union's politician Konstantinos Mitsotakis. He then formed a new government using the apostates, ex-members of EK, and installed Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas as prime minister. Athanasiadis attempted to gain a vote of confidence in parliament, but the EK party was split in two, and a political crisis ensued that led to the period of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974.

The Centre Union Party was the last Venizelist party to hold power in Greece. The party nominally continued to exist until 1977 (after the Junta it was known as the Center Union - New Forces), when its successor Union of the Democratic Centre (EDIK) party was created. Konstantinos Mitsotakis, who had defected from the EK in 1965, formed a rival Venizelist party, known as the "Party of New Liberals", which merged with New Democracy in 1978.

Electoral performance

Year Party Leader Number of votes Percentage of votes Seats in the
Hellenic Parliament
Position in Parliament
1961
Georgios Papandreou
1,555,442
33.7%
100 / 300
(in alliance with the Progressive Party (Greece), election result disputed); main opposition party
1963
Georgios Papandreou
1,962,074
42.0%
138 / 300
Minority government
1964
Georgios Papandreou
2,424,477
52.7%
171 / 300
Government

References

    See also

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