Union of The Democratic Centre (Greece)

Union Of The Democratic Centre (Greece)

The Union of the Democratic Centre (EDIK, Greek: Ένωση Δημοκρατικού Κέντρου (ΕΔΗΚ), Enosi Dimokratikou Kentrou) is a centrist, liberal party in Greece.

The party was founded on February 5, 1976, two years after the end of the military junta's rule, asserting itself to be the ideological successor of the once ruling Centre Union party. EDIK was the result of the merger of Centre Union – New Forces and the Democratic Centre Union of Ioannis Zidgis. Its party leader at the time was George Mavros who earlier led the Center Union - New Forces; Mavros, though, would join PASOK a couple of years later. The party was led by Zidgis in the early '80s, and has since adopted more social-democratic positions.

With the Greek political spectrum shifting to the left, EDIK was increasingly marginalized, with PASOK replacing it as the country's second major party. The party's support collapsed in the elections of 1981, when it gained 0.7% of the vote and was shut out of Parliament. However, George Mavros was elected as an independent on PASOK ticket, and again in 1985, when EDIK and PASOK officially co-operated. In 1989, EDIK ran independently and did not elect any representatives in parliament.

From 1998 to 2011, party president was Neoklis Sarris, and the party operated mostly as a forum of political analysis and public, ideological debates. In the Greek legislative election, 2009 Neoklis Sarris ran for Democratic Revival. In 2012 the Union of the Democratic Centre was reconstructed. Stavros Karabelas was elected new president of the party and shifted the political characteristics of the party to the left. So, in the greek legislative election, May 2012 the party participated in the Coalition of the Radical Left.