In July 2017, PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata announced the formation of a new unified centre-left party in Greece before the end of the year.

After the leadership election, both PASOK–DIMAR and The River planned to continue with separate parliamentary groups until the new alliance's founding congress, scheduled for spring 2018.

Nine initial leadership candidates included Gennimata, Theodorakis, Athens mayor Giorgos Kaminis, PASOK MEP Nikos Androulakis, EDEM party leader Apostolos Pontas, academic Constantinos Gatsios, former PASOK ministers Yiannis Maniatis and Yiannis Ragousis, and Dimitris Tziotis.

[16][17] On 2 December 2017, the party's six-member ruling council was announced, being composed of Gennimata, Theodorakis, Androulakis, Kaminis, DIMAR leader Thanasis Theocharopoulos and former PASOK Prime Minister George Papandreou.

[22] On 1 June 2019 former PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos left KINAL, accusing Gennimata of turning the Movement into "SYRIZA's tail".

[30] The new emblem was unveiled two weeks later, with the traditional green sun having changed hue in a gradient from dark to lighter from left to right.